


Pandora

by cutiebunny



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-07-13 13:43:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 71,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16019129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutiebunny/pseuds/cutiebunny
Summary: Set during New Moon after Bella reunites with Edward. For Jessica Stanley a chance encounter in a secret garden draws her into a world beyond her wildest imaginings, a timeless world of embroiled with power struggle, conflicts and revenge. A world from which there is no escape.





	1. Phantom City

 

* * *

**Disclaimer: All the fiction found here is reasonably in character and does not contradict information given in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, or on the Twilight Lexicon personal chats. Everything and anything related to the _Twilight_ saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. This is a work of fiction based on her writings. No harm is meant by it.**

* * *

Volterra, Italy.

Population: 11,042.

She always wanted to take some break off school and travel but it wasn't after her rather dramatic break-up with Mark that set her off to the right rail. She couldn't bear to be in Forks – the gloomy, unfamiliar town. She wanted something different for once or she would've gone crazy.

Jessica didn't know what made her choose this beautiful town out of all places she could have chosen; she'd been dreaming about being in Paris, wondering around with all the latest fashions and enjoying the bright night view– not here. Maybe it was because Italy was similar to Paris: both are known as 'City of Love' and both were beautiful in their own ways too.

Now, she was enjoying the quiet night sky as the stars above her head had come out to play and twinkle like small diamonds studded in the dark blanket. Ever since she was young, she found night to be quite calming, beautiful – not scary or fearful like many other children seemed to believe; she wasn't afraid of the dark because she knew there was nothing in the dark that could harm her.

Jessica closed her eyes in bliss as the calm wind blew through her hair; unlike Forks the night was so peaceful. Quiet. Something that was rare in Forks and other places she visited. The beautiful town held that comfortable country side atmosphere unlike the noisy Forks bustling with lousy teenagers wasting themselves away with alcohol and drugs. Not that she had the right to say anything about their chosen lifestyle.

The whole town was asleep, apart from darkly lit street lights, only silent seemed to inhibit here. So silent that she could hear rustling of trees from the outer walls of the town faintly in her ears.

There was a slightly rustling from her left side she normally wouldn't be able hear if it wasn't for the silence. Jessica slowly turned her head, while she wasn't those reckless types and had good survival skills to know a girl shouldn't be sitting on a fountain at this kind of time alone and open, she couldn't say no to this tranquil experience.

She was sure there was someone there hidden in the darkness and the figure stepped into the silvery moon light. From the tall, lean yet lithe stature, she knew it was a male. He wore all black and hood over his face; too dark to make out any certain looks.

For a moment, her and his eyes seemed to meet before he sharply cut and headed toward the tall, clock tower. Good, as long as he kept his distance she wouldn't have to try her feeble kung-fu version from the movie, 'Rush Hour'.

He glanced over his shoulder, as if checking if whether she was giving more interest and attention than normal. Satisfied she shrugged off and went back to watching the evening sky, he opened the doors before stepping inside and closing it behind him.

* * *

The next day, she started off her morning with touring around the beautiful town. Pinacoteca (Art Gallery) was the first place she stepped in, admiring the beautiful religious paintings left behind as legacy by famous painters that graced through our history.

The gallery was spacious, huge and maze-like that she could only explore less than half of the whole collections of arts within the time she gave herself. The brief disappointment vanished when Jessica found a family café 'L'Incontro' that was designed in a way that gave off homely atmosphere giving the ease Jessica sought ever since she came here.

She brought one of articulately made pastry and cappuccino printed with heart shape made from milk drops, almost too hesitant to drink such art form. Jessica of course snapped the picture and uploaded on her Instagram for her friends to see and instantly her phone lighted with notifications.

Jessica was greeted by the owner of the place who also acted as manager/employee, Leo – a middle aged man who is married and had a daughter of her age who often helped out his place. Jessica soon found herself laughing at the man's jokes, he was almost like her father – obviously loves his family very much, humorous, very protective of their only daughter and loved to humiliate their daughter very openly.

She soon said goodbye, finishing her meal but with a promise she'll come back to have their famous home-made Spaghetti Bolognese.

Soon enough, Jessica found herself at a strange place when she wondered out the town's wall. Maybe she was being too adventurous on her first day. Now she didn't know how to get out the lovely garden of sorts she found by accident. She doubts the long-time inhabitants even knew this place; she was completely lost.

But those worrying thoughts were repressed as Jessica began to take in the surroundings. It was tranquil and isolated; a perfect place. A haven away from the world.

She took a seat on Gothic designed metal bench, opened her bag and took out her novel she needed to read: 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles' a rather depressing book she heard, not to mention she saw the drama too. Let's say, she prefered happy endings.

Jessica was too engrossed to notice the time flowing as sun start to set, there were groups of murmurs heading toward her directions but it wasn't until the melodic voice tore her away from the world of literature.

"Now, stay together, everyone." The high pitched voice struck through Jessica, definitely making a deep impression on her even before she saw its owner which she was sure was as beautiful as the voice was.

And she was. So so much more.

The woman wore dark crimson dress that flattered and hugged her die-for hourglass figure, long, lustrous mahogany hair and long legs any models would sell their souls to the devils for. The gorgeous woman was beautiful enough to be compared to Rosalie Hale – another girl Jessica knew that was more stunning than any celebrities she saw in the magazines.

Jessica almost flinched nervously when the woman turned to look at Jessica sitting at the side with idiotic gaping looks; mouth wide open and eyes bulged like a fish. The woman looked surprised but quickly replaced it with a smile as she  _graced_ – not walk – the floor effortlessly toward her.

"Hello." Her voice rang in Jessica's ears like clarion church bells.

"..Hi.." Jessica's voice was weak and squeaky against the mysterious woman.

"I am Heidi." She had an exotic name too to suit her exotic beauty, "Yours'?"

"Jessica. Jessica Stanley." Jessica wasted no time to shake her head nervously; her name sounded so ordinary and common against Heidi's.

Heidi beamed at her, "Pleasure. You are not from here are you not?"

Jessica nodded, for some whatever reason, she was compelled to tell the truths. Hell, if she asked for Jessica's credit card PIN, she'd gladly give her if it made her happy.

"You don't happen to know the Cullens' right?" Jessica suddenly blurted out.

If there was one thing that constantly reminded her of the Cullens' was their unnatural beauty that outshined all the famous people out there. Many often, Jessica wondered how the hell they  _weren't_  famous; just by their looks alone they could make it to the cover page of Vogue with a flick of a finger but instead they settled in a small, boring, rural town for an ordinary life instead.

She soon chided herself for asking an absurd questions, like, Cullens' have a family in Italy – well to be fair, they never revealed much about themselves to others except Bella and mostly kept to themselves but she came all the way here and certainly did not take 11 hour flight just so her self-esteem could take a punch in the gut.

Heidi's kind face melted away and replaced by something Jessica identified as recognition and surprise. So she knew the Cullens'? And from the fleeting emotion she observed, Heidi seemed to have a somewhat strained relationship with them and surprised Jessica knew them.

"You know the Cullens'?"

Jessica nodded.

Heidi once again smiled pleasantly, "What a surprise? If they told us their acquaintance was coming over here, I'd have made time to show you the Volterra's most beautiful sides."

"I don't really know them," Jessica told, shrugging her shoulder, "I mean they are not the most sociable people I know. Dr and Mrs. Cullens' kids goes to my school but I don't really talk to them, they are quite weird. Especially Alice."

Jessica saw Heidi relax, "I see. Well, I must get going you see, my groups are getting quite restless but it was a privilege to talk to you. Hope we can meet once again in the future."

Jessica finally noticed who she was talking about. There was probably about twenty or thirty groups of tourists in their very obvious and stereotypical tourist fashion: waist purse, hats, cameras but no souvenir of sorts. Wasn't that what many tourists would actually take with them of their visitation?

She saw Heidi floating toward the group once again and they all look at her with the same star-struck gaze, even the children. She guided them to the front and to the door.

Heidi once more turned her head toward Jessica, "Oh, this is a private property, Jessica, no outsiders allowed. I am sorry for the inconvenience."

Jessica furiously shook her head with red hues spreading across her cheeks, "Um, no! It was my fault for intruding – I-I didn't know. I'll go."

She hastily collected her belongings and speed walked to the way the tourists came but not before giving a last glance over the shoulder as she saw Heidi closing the door after everyone had entered and gave her a final dazzling smile.

Somehow, it unnerved her.

* * *

Jessica checked her watch and was surprised to see it was already seven in the afternoon. She should get back to her hotel room now as it was already quite dark. She used her phone light as a flash light to guide her feet to not stumble down the stairs.

She turned and twists through almost maze like ambiguous constructions, she didn't know where she was going but following her pure instinct. Jessica's eyes were down onto her shoes she forgot to look up as she felt herself bump into a hard wall.

But the hard wall didn't felt like wool either.

Jessica gasped when she realised it was someone – not something – and jumped a few feet back, "I'm so sorry! It was dark and I wasn't looking where I was going."

She was hoping it was just a normal person and not some psycho or even a mafia or something like that. Jessica looked back to see the person's reaction. The person had dark coat and a hood over him–

"You look like the person I saw yesterday night…" She blurted out before quickly apologising, "Sorry, random thoughts. Sorry for bumping into you by the way."

Jessica side stepped and found herself torn with two roads. Which one would lead her to the right road and which one would lead her to the wrong end? Right or Left?

Jessica turned to her right, about to step around the arc until a voice stopped her.

"Left."

She stopped, glancing over her shoulder with puzzled expression.

"You are going the wrong way; left." His voice was suave and smooth with hint of English accent. It was like hearing sirens sing.

"Oh.." Jessica muttered as realisation hit her like cold bucket of water, feeling embarrassed, she turned to the left.

"Thank you." She thanked before disappearing off the corner.

* * *

The next few days, she kept her eyes out for Heidi for reason unknown to her. She hoped she could even see few of the tourists that were with Heidi but sadly, she couldn't spot those people in the crowds. Not even Heidi.

Where were all the tourists? Did they all go back?

Ominous feeling tugged the back of her mind and she began to worry. Something wasn't right. She didn't know the reason but somehow, doubtful feelings were rousing inside her.

Jessica stood up from the bench in the town square and trotted toward the familiar maze.

The next few days, she kept her eyes out for Heidi for reason unknown to her. She hoped she could even see few of the tourists that were with Heidi but sadly, she couldn't spot those people in the crowds. Not even Heidi.

Where were all the tourists? Did they all go back?

Ominous feeling tugged the back of her mind and she began to worry. Something wasn't right. She didn't know the reason but somehow, doubtful feelings were rousing inside her.

Jessica stood up from the bench in the town square and trotted toward the familiar maze.

Wait–why was she here again? Jessica wondered as she stared at the closed door. The need to know what was behind that doorway was almost compulsive and almost forbidden. She carefully stepped toward the door, starting up the small stairs, she soon came face to face with the ancient wood.

"I believe Heidi had told you not to come here again." The familiar voice drawled lazily.

She jerked toward the source, finding the man standing down the stair, still wearing the dark cloak and hood over his face.

"I was–what's behind this door?" Jessica demanded feebly.

"A matter that is none of your concern." He coldly replied, stepping up to face her.

Jessica narrowed her eyes, darting between the mystery man and the door, "So I can go in? What will happen when I go in?"

She was only replied with a smirk, "If that is your wish," He gestured his arm to the door, "Go ahead."

If this human did step in, it only suited his need rather than hers'.

Jessica's hand wearily approached the door and grasped on the door knob. Her mind was screaming there was something much more sinister behind this door that only separated her from whatever dark secrets there was. But at the corner of her mind, the curiosity probed against her better judgement.

Curiosity killed the cat, her conscious said.

But the satisfaction brought it back, her mind retorted.

_Ring_

_Ring_

The dull, metallic sound of her phone ringtone rang loudly, making Jessica startle. She checked the screen name: Bella.

Swiping the accept call button, she brought the cell to her ear, "Hello?"

_"Jessica, are you ok?!"_

There was desperation in Bella's voice, deepening Jessica's frown, "Um..duh? Why has someone called you saying that I was kidnapped?" Jessica jokingly laughed. Slight shuffling could be heard before the masculine voice replaced Bella's.

_"Jessica, get out of there."_

"Edward? What–"

 _"Get out. Go somewhere that is crowded_ –  _anywhere but there!"_

Did someone actually called them saying she was kidnapped?

"I don't understand–" The phone was abruptly taken from Jessica's hand as Alec held the cell to his ears and with the smooth but demanding tone overridden with threat,

"Edward, please compose yourself. I am at my most controlled self; you are making her more suspicious."

Jessica could still his shouts of protests over the phone but it was swiftly cut as Alec pressed the end call button and handed it back to her.

"You know Edward?"

"Of course. He had visited us once with..Bella." He smirked, teasingly, "Come. I will accompany you back – if you still wish to."

Jessica realised he was gesturing to the doors and with defeated pride, she backed away.

"Good choice." The unsuspecting human followed behind him as he guided her back to the town square to make sure she didn't linger by.

"I'm Jessica." She introduced, finding the silent too awkward.

"Alec." His reply after a brief pause was short as if contemplating to give her his name or not.

Jessica concluded he had a rather quiet nature but he seemed lively and teasing at times, "So, what's the deal with you and Edward? He sounded like he was talking to his public enemy no.1"

"Feelings are mutual I suppose."

She nodded and just as she was about to ask another question, her phone began to buzz furiously. The screen read Bella. Accepting the call and pressing the phone to her ear, she was met with bombarding jumbles of words, sob and yelling.

"B-Bella, calm down! A-are you alrigh––I-I'm fine! W-What's wrong? I said I'm fine! What's going on?" Jessica frowned and alarmed at the clear sound of her hysteria. Did someone die? Did something happen to her parents? Did something happen to Bella?

 _"Jessica?"_ Edward asked.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's going on?"

_"Everything's fine. We're just worried that the phone call got disconnected suddenly. Are you alright?"_

Looking at Alec with a slight frown, she replied, "Uh…yeah…I'm alive and kicking. I mean..thanks for worrying though."

There was a moment of silent on the phone then rustle as the phone exchanged hand and Bella's quivering voice were heard.

_"A-are you alright?"_

"Yeah..I think I should be asking you that question. Are you okay?"

_"Y-yeah, sorry for making you worry but the phone got cut before I could speak to you again so I panicked that something might have happened."_

"Well, I'm still with Alec and I'm safe."

_"A-alright, what is he doing?"_

Jessica glanced over at Alec who patiently stood still, "Um…just standing?"

_"O-okay. Call me if you get home alright?"_

"Okay, I will."

_"Promise me."_

"Promise." Jessica said, "I'm hanging up, okay?"

_"Okay, speak to you later."_

"Bye." Jessica reluctantly pressed the red phone symbol and returned her phone into her back pocket, "Well that was weird."

Alec wordlessly gestured toward the wider path, stepping aside to let her through first. But something in her didn't want him behind her where she couldn't see his movements and hesitated. Suppressing the trepidation and feign a brave face, she stepped forward and began to walk. Her head was slightly turned toward her shoulder so that her eyes could see him from the corner while her ears tuned in to the sound of his rhythmic footsteps matching her owns. He seemed like he was almost floating rather than walking and the sound of his footsteps were like feathers landing on the floor; there were barely any sounds. He was a ghost, haunting her from the darkness yet she was very aware of his hovering presence. Almost overwhelming.

She caught a whiff of his scent and it was as lovely as the Cullens'. Intoxicating and alluring like the carnivorous flowers.

 _Who are you?_ She thought.

When she looked up, they had arrived at the main street bustling with the passer-by.

"Thanks for––" There was a slight breeze of wind passing through her hair and when she turned around, he had disappeared, "Guiding me…" She finished in shock.

Where had he gone in such a short time?

* * *

Bella sighed as she pocketed her phone, turning around to face the worrying stares of the Cullens', "She seems fine..for now."

Edward stepped forward, holding her hands with his cold ones, "Bella, if she's alright, then she is fine. Stop troubling yourself and relax."

"But Alice saw it. She saw–" Bella couldn't even finish her sentence and Edward understood. He saw Alice's vision as clear as she had.

"Bella, remember my visions are not accurate and change according to people's choice." Alice added with the intention to soothe Bella's worry but even she could not hide the look of uncertainty.

Bella had been with Alice and Edward when she received her vision; the image flashed passed through her eyes in fast speed but it was crystal clear what was happening.

Jessica standing in the centre of the familiar large throne room, Alec grasping Jessica's arm tightly in hold before Aro stepped down with cruel smile..he bites her neck before Alec ravages her in animalistic fashion until the last drop of her blood dropped from his lip and coats the floor with crimson – the colour of his eyes and stared into the lifeless eye of Jessica Stanley.

It was Edward who alerted Bella who immediately acted up on her worry and called Jessica to confirm her safety.

Alice saw Bella's fear held gaze relax a little as she heard she was fine until another sort of fear held her and rambled out in almost incoherent words. Edward took the phone, knowing he was more calm and in control at these types of situation. He commanded her to get out of wherever she was to the place with crowds but then her whole form went cold when she heard a familiar drawling voice that wasn't Jessica's. It was Alec's.

Edward shouted out his protest against Alec's more swift and calculating response until the call was disconnected with the dial-tones. The blood left Bella's face, making her almost as pale as the vampires in the room. Bella snatched the phone from Edward's hand and pressed Jessica's number with shaking fingers.

It was only an hour later when Jessica had called back that Bella began to calm down and her lip biting became less frequent throughout the days.

* * *

Jessica spent most of her days dreaded with boredom, mostly rolling in her bed and staring up in her ceiling. Empty tube of ice cream sat next to her tattered book, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Overwhelmed with frustration, she put the empty tube on the bed side table before pulling the sheet up to her face, burying herself deeply into the comfortable abyss she was in.

The peace was short lived.

_Ring_

_Just ignore it.._  She hoped the caller would get the idea she was unavailable and cut the call short, praying the other side with the prolonged dial tones will come to realise she had absolutely no will to pick up the mobile. The caller would probably be either her family or friends, and if they knew Jessica Stanley; they'd know she had her phone 24/7, regardless night, day, time or situations; she'd never ignore the phone ringing more than once.

_Ring_

She could feel her eyebrow twitch with annoyance as the phone kept on ringing, each sound of the ringtone seemed to magnify hundred times in her ears.

_Ring_

Jessica took in a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated back into her slumber, reminding herself the comfortable world she was in.

_Ring–_

Her hand clawed the mechanic, swiped the screen angrily and pulled it to her ear, "Hello?!" Her greeting was half shout and half growl.

_"Jessica? It's Bella. Are you OK? She sounds OK."_

Jessica knew Bella was probably confirming her well-being to those around her; listening to the conversations.

"Yes, Bella. I'm OK, I don't know  _why_ you are having a panic attack; I'm gonna have a panic attack 'cuz of you. Whoever called you saying I was dead or drowned or hung or burnt alive or something is probably not true because I sure as hell am not talking to you from my grave."

She could hear sigh of relief over the phone.

_"I'm glad...you're safe. Jessica, just..just stay away from danger there."_

Jessica rolled her eyes, "Yes, mother, I'll say no when someone ask me to follow them to their van for a candy(!)"

_"I'm not kidding! Jessica..just promise me you'll-no, come back! Come back to Forks."_

"Come back? Bella, the whole reason why I'm travelling is to get  _out_ of the Forks, not come back in." Jessica's voice lowered, "Is this the incident about Alec yesterday?"

 _"Alec? He told you his name?"_  There was unbelieving tone in Bella's voice as if she didn't believe her ears or the person she was speaking to right now.

"Yes, Bella. Most people do. It's no.1 rule in something called introduction-slash-ice breaker." Jessica bit out the sarcasm, wanting to sleep.

_"..So he didn't hurt you?"_

Jessica frowned, gawking at the phone as if she was seeing Bella face to face, "Is he suppose to? Did you call me expecting me to be in a hospital or a morgue? Wait, is hurting people some kind of custom in Italy because I heard you can't make V shape with your fingers in front of Italian people because that means their boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating on them or whatever."

Bella laughed over the phone, seems her little nervous tick was passing,  _"No..well I don't think so anyway. Jessica when are you coming back to Forks?"_

"Well..." She bit her lip in thoughtful thinking, "Soon..I guess. Although I have a year to spare and get some experience for my credits but being in Italy is so not helping so I might cut my 'vacation' early."

_"Oh that's cool. Well, I'll speak to you soon, OK?"_

Small smile appeared on Jessica at Bella's worry for her, "Yea, thanks for worrying though. Better than my parent." She can imagine Bella smiling over the phone. With quick but fond goodbyes, she hung up and closed her eyes.

* * *

Bella grew agitated when she wouldn't pick up at the first ring like she always did. Maybe they came for her later, the thought ran through her mind with dread. To her relief, Jessica sounded fine and normal. She registered no pain or fear in her voice. She knew from Edward, Carlisle's century long happy friendship with the Volturi leader, Aro, and Alice had explained that they never kill the inhabitants of Volterra; tourists or not, they don't like risking even the tiniest chance and brought their 'food' from places that was quite far away. Even so, Bella bit her lip, the nagging anxiety in the back of her mind didn't reside one bit.

* * *

The next time she met the mystery boy again was through pure coincidence. She didn't expect to see him again but when she did, felt an odd sense of happiness at the somewhat familiar face.

"Hey!" She called out from a distance, "Alec!"

The boy stilled at the sound of his name. With the fall of darkness and overshadowing hood, she couldn't see his face but she was sure it was him. Then resumed his gait toward the hill. Jessica raised a brow at the blatant act of snub.  _Rude_ she thought as her legs carried toward him.

By the time she reached where he once stood, he had disappeared.

"So rude." She muttered with a disapproving shake and turned back around when a figure emerged from the corner. Her phone clattered to the floor and she prayed her screen hadn't cracked from the collision.

"Who is rude?" He asked, "Is it not considered rude to trail someone?"

"I wasn't trailing!" She denied, "And isn't it rude to ignore someone when they call out your name?!"

"I didn't hear you." He lied.

"Yeah, looks like you didn't hear me(!)"

"What do you want?" He asked audibly impatient. The tone surprised her. He usually sounded friendly.

"I don't know." She honestly said, "Is it weird for me to say you just reminds me of the Cullens'? You're...weird."

"Ah..you said that several times." He tilted his head, "Is that all?"

"You don't really get along with people do you?" Jessica suddenly asked.

"I'm not interested." He shrugged off.

"I don't know...you just got that..lonely vibe, you know."

"You're wrong." His voice changed from a friendly tone to harsher intonation.

It seemed she made him angry and for a moment, she preferred him angry. He seemed..like a person.

"So you  _can_  get angry.." The word slipped out of her mouth before she could register it.

The corner of his lip twitched, "What did you say?"

"Huh, oh, shit, no, I wasn't meant to say that." Jessica backed away as he stepped forward, "Sorry, goodnight, bye!"

As she twisted around, one of her leg tangled around her other ankle and knocked her off balance as she felt herself falling. Clenching her eyes and bracing for painful impact, her hands desperately searched for something to grab on. Then something firm hooked around her wrist and pulled her back on her feet.

With incredible speed, his arm shot out to wrap its fingers around her wrist and one thing she noticed foremost was how icy to the touch his skin was against hers'. It was frighteningly cold. Almost like a corpse.

"Are you always this cold?" She asked, noting to his skin temperature rather than his character.

Alec took back his arm just as fast as he reached out and Jessica blinked at the speed which he did. She almost missed it and thought,  _what a fast reflex._

"I think it's good if you go." He said with the absence of his usual friendly tone.

Jessica wanted to see his eyes that was always hidden by his hood and slightly bent down without being too noticeable. He smoothly turned slightly and lowered his chin, barring her catching a potential glance.

She frowned, confused by his actions. What was he hiding? Was he..deformed somehow? Did he have lazy eyes? Could he be blind?

"Look, I know we are basically strangers, but..I'm not going to judge whatever. I knew people who did morally questionable things when they got drunk so..yeah I did low key judged them but it was low key…"

"Go." He patiently said.

"Okay, goodbye." She turned and carefully stepped down the stone stairs. When she arrived on the ground, Jessica glanced back and saw that the mystery boy had been standing in the same spot and if his eyes were not covered, they'd have met.

 _What a weird boy._ She thought. There was something unnerving about him like the Cullens'. They looked normal..well in sense that they had two arms, two legs, a nose, a lip and two eyes just like her but there was something that set her apart from them that she just couldn't identify. It was like they were  _different_ \- a world different.

Alec broke the contact, turning on his heels and stalking away.

* * *

 


	2. Encounter? Mysterious coincidence!

Pandora

Chapter II:

Encounter? Mysterious coincidence!

* * *

It was a week later that they met again. Before that, she stumbled upon an innocent coincidence of catching a glimpse of Heidi leading the band of tourists into the secret tunnel that would directly lead them to the castle.

Jessica regarded it suspiciously but otherwise stayed quiet and pushed it back into her mind until she absentmindedly seemed to wander around the 'forbidden' area. It was like something was trying to tell her. After the phone call with Alec, Bella seemed a lot more occupied with giving her an extra attention with calls and messages every few hours a day.

**_Bella:_ ** _Hey, what you doing?_

**_Jess:_ ** _Nothing. You?_

**_Bella:_ ** _Doing my homework. Just thought I'd check up on you since you're so far away._

**_Jess:_ ** _I'm doing fine : ) the Volterra is so nice, you should come visit!_

**_Bella:_ ** _haha I will someday! Any plans for today?_

**_Jess:_ ** _Nothing really. There isn't so much to look at here but it's the peace and calmness that I like._

**_Bella:_ ** _haha I need that peace and calmness in my life lmao_

**_Jess:_ ** _saw Heidi today again. She had group of tourists with her and I think they went into some kind of tunnel or something. Weird. I don't really see them again._

**_Bella:_ ** _oh. You shouldn't really care about that too much. Probably they are those crammed tour where you spend like few hours in one place then quickly move to the next._

**_Jess:_ ** _yah, probably. So bored I'm like observing everything lol._

**_Bella:_ ** _hahaha! So when you coming back?_

**_Jess:_ ** _not sure. Probably gonna stay for a few months or something._

**_Bella:_ ** _yaa, wish you were here! It's so boring without you!_

**_Jess:_ ** _I know XD like it's moi's presence that made the school bearable! I'm the beacon of light to Forks High. Anywhoo, I'll text ya later. Gotta go._

**_Bella:_ ** _okay! Just text me when you get back in the hotel or something!_

**_Jess:_ ** _will do, bye!_

**_Bella:_ ** _: )_

Jessica thought bizarre how Bella wanted her to not worry about Heidi or Alec when just a week ago she had called her, crying, as if Alec might have done something to her. It was almost as if she was saying, 'don't ask about them, don't care about them, just ignore them and don't try get involved'. She wasn't stupid to not realise they were hiding something from her and it was clear that they didn't want her to uncover it.

Even so, at least she had Bella for company. Jessica let out a breathy sigh through her nose and looked up from her phone.

"Maybe I chose the wrong destination." She murmured to herself. Lonely. It was such a foreign concept in a sense that she was actually alone. Physically. She was never alone. Well most of the time. For once, she actually managed to message and reply to all of her parents' and friends' messages without taking weeks and weeks to reply. For someone who was so social, she was lame at replying straight away.

 _Maybe I should go to a bar._ She thought,  _shit..I can't buy alcohol can I._

* * *

A bottle of vodka, mango juice and plastic cups in a non-conspicuous black plastic bag swung in rhythm as Jessica hummed gaily with a spring in her steps. The shop keeper didn't bother looking up at her as he scanned her items and paid for it. She headed for place she knew would have a nice view of forest and hills surrounding the walls of Volterra. It was an area in the outskirt, just north from the main part of the town and very isolated from the busy life of the inhabitants there.

Jessica poured vodka until it filled the half of the cup then the rest with mango juice. Covering the opening with her palm, she gave it a quick swirl to create a mini hurricane in the liquid. Tipping the cup on her lip, Jessica gulped down the burning sensation.

"Shit, this is good."

Her eyes landed on the castle that stood tall, its keep clear even from distance. It was Volterra's core historic monument, having been around for centuries. The history of how it came to be was vague but it was rumoured that it was built by the vampires that came to reside here long ago until St. Marcus drove them away. Vampires. It was an interesting an urban legend for the hilly town but it was eerily fitting for a place so far from civilisation, surrounded by vast forests. It was like a haven.

"Vampires, huh…" She muttered.

She wished she brought her favourite drunk food but it was inconvenient to eat outside like this. Apparently, rice and peanut butter or rice and black coffee; vanilla ice cream and black pepper and ramen and tortilla chips did not qualified as post-drink food and was far from being tasty. Jessica begged to differ, even Michelin star dish could not compare to her go-to munchies snacks.

Plopping back on the grass, she gazed at the clear night sky lit by the bright starlight and silvery crescent moon. The night was so beautiful here, calm even. Her lid drooped heavily and before she could register, Jessica had fallen into a deep sleep.

She had woken up to the dewy cold of an early morning, shivering as wetness sipped through her thin clothes materials. The sun had managed to reveal half of its dome to the world but the moon and the stars were still visible to the naked eye. The empty bottles and cup laid by her side just as she had left it before drifting into unconsciousness. The alcohol was still in her system.

Then she heard the sound of a jet engine making a land from afar. Its deafening sound disturbing the eerie silence of the forest before its engine swiftly died away.

 _A jet?_ Jessica frowned,  _must be some sort of rich people travelling over from the main city._

She was curious. Jessica had never seen a private jet in real life other than in TV. Gathering her litters, she travelled to the directions of the sound. Just over the hill was a large vast of land she did not know existed. It was plenty of ground to land a jet or two. From a distance, the airstair slowly unravelled and stretched out toward the ground before the door opened and a figure stepped out. Jessica blinked. It was Heidi. Her usual simple red dress seemed so much glamorous on her. She had the body for it and the dress simply accentuated it.

Behind her was another group of tourists, ranging from youngsters to senior and all seemed excited to be here, taking pictures with their large cameras. Heidi led the group toward the familiar place where she was warned not to step foot in again.

 _What kind of tour group did Heidi worked for?_  Jessica thought curiously. Something wasn't right, she could feel. There was something eerie about the two. The same feeling she got whenever she saw the Cullens'.

A light breeze brushed past her, hair swaying in the direction as it reached lower ground. Heidi caught a familiar scent, sniffing the air as it mingled with the other humans and her own. Smiling, Heidi kept on walking as her enchanted preys flocked together and blindly followed their guide.

Within minutes, Heidi and the tourists disappeared.

* * *

**_Jess:_ ** _Hey, Bella._

**_Bella:_ ** _Yeah, wassup?_

**_Jess:_ ** _So you know Alec and Heidi.._

**_Bella:_ ** _Yeah, what's wrong?_

**_Jess:_ ** _Do they run their own tour company or something?_

**_Bella:_ ** _Yeah, why?_

**_Jess:_ ** _Nothing. Just found some things strange about them. Never mind._

**_Bella:_ ** _Strange about what?_

**_Jess:_ ** _Just..nah_

**_Bella:_ ** _You can tell me, you know._

Jessica mulled for a moment, her fingers hovering above the keyboard. She quickly typed:

**_Jess:_ ** _It's strange because they come here on a private jet! Must have been a hella expensive holiday. Anyway, it's just seemed weird how the tourists go to see just the castle then leave. Like there's so many places to see here and it's weird they only see the castle._

**_Bella:_ ** _Maybe they only paid for the castle viewing? I mean, I don't think there's anything strange…are you drunk?_

**_Jess:_ ** _what? Um..no.._

**_Bella:_ ** _LOL I'll take that as yes haha_

**_Jess:_ ** _I had a bit of vodka okay?_

**_Bella:_ ** _you mean a whole bottle of vodka_

**_Jess:_ ** _I diluted it with mango juice so it's okay. My body doesn't know._

**_Bella:_ ** _…that's not how it works tho_

**_Jess:_ ** _shhh!_

**_Bella:_ ** _Well, it seems you're having fun.._

**_Jess:_ ** _How's Mike doing?_

**_Bella:_ ** _um..he's doing alright I guess?_

**_Jess:_ ** _alright?_

**_Bella:_ ** _well he seemed..Mike._

**_Jess:_ ** _ugh of course._

**_Bella:_ ** _Don't you think it's right to come back and you know, sort things out?_

**_Jess:_ ** _what's there to sort out anyway?_

**_Bella:_ ** _Well, you did sort of.. run away…_

**_Jess:_ ** _No it's called taking time for yourself._

**_Bella:_ ** _Yeah, whatever you say._

**_Jess:_ ** _I need a quality time with myself, okay?_

**_Bella:_ ** _LOL okay._

Their conversation ended. Jessica scratched her head, something about Heidi and Alec tugged her mind. Like ripples expanding across the still water and creating disturbances. The question was, how big would the disturbance become?

* * *

The next day, Jessica decided to visit the castle. She didn't know why after weeks of coming to Volterra that visiting its emblem hadn't cross her mind. Then again, she preferred sitting in a timeworn café tucked away from the hustle and bustle street hidden in the walls of laneways as she stared out of the window and watching the people walk by.

The castle was open to everyone, no entrance fee or renovated with gift shops or a cafe, but preserved as they had been built. The castle was like a maze with many doors, stairs and rooms, some off limit, and there were very few artificial lights. Instead there were torches situated on the walls and candle chandeliers hanging from the eye of the ceiling. There was only a reception in the front with only one woman manning the desk and her eyes followed the people coming in and out and around vigilantly.

She went to the first floor, marveling at the beautiful architecture and expensive art pieces on display. Whoever used to own it seemed to have a taste for art. And tradition.

 _I wonder who it belongs to…_  The wall was cold to her touch. Almost like Alec's hand.

Jessica headed downstairs where the reception were and approached the counter.

"May I help you?" Asked the beautiful Italian woman. Valentina, her name tag read.

"Um, yeah, I was wondering if I can join some sort of castle tour group."

"We do not offer any tour options, I'm afraid. However we do have a leaflet about the castle if you like."

"Well I was wondering if you can put me in Heidi's group."

The receptionist froze, eyes slightly widen and jaw dropped. Composing herself, the receptionist offered a cordial smile and head shake, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know who Heidi is."

"She's a tour leader. She comes here often." Jessica prodded carefully.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but various tour groups go in and out of here every day - all which we do not have any affiliations with. It is simply impossible to know every single one of their faces."

"Okay. Thank you." Jessica nodded, taking the leaflet. She didn't expect any answers anyway and walked away.

"Miss!" The receptionist called.

Jessica turned.

"May I take your name and if you want a contact number down?" Valentina asked, "In case I see Heidi's group next time and pass on your interest."

Jessica took the pen and paper, "I'll just put my name down since I'm here for few more months so I'll just visit again next time. Here you go." She slid the paper and pen to Valentina.

"Thank you…Lauren?"

Jessica nodded, "Thank you. Take care."

"Thank you, you too." Valentina smiled.

When Jessica disappeared around the corner, Valentina pressed one on the telephone. After one dial tone, the phone was picked up.

"Lauren Mallory came to me today asking about Heidi." She curtly said over the phone before putting the speaker back to headset. What she did not know was that Jessica had used the hidden corner to travel back to the reception area and had heard Valentina's phone call from behind the wall.

Jessica knew there was something wrong about the whole thing.

* * *

Heidi was passed on the message regarding Lauren Mallory by Gianna and for a moment, the name was a stranger to her until a certain face flashed through her mind.

"Lauren Mallory…" Heidi muttered then corrected, "..Jessica Stanley."

Her red cladded hip swayed seductively as she strode toward the library where the young vampire tends to reside in.

"Alec." She called.

The young vampire sat reclined on the marble floor with his back supported by the heavy, tall bookshelf. He looked up from the book that was occupying his interest for now.

"It seemed Jessica has been asking around about me."

Alec blinked. "Ah, the human girl."

"Should I kill her?" She asked jestingly.

"It's forbidden to kill anyone within these walls."

She smiled, "I know. Thought you'd say that. Maybe you can try and slide into her DMs? Ask her what she's been up to."

Alec shook his head disapprovingly, "You've been hanging around humans too much."

"It's my job to blend in." Heidi grinned, "Besides, the modern human world is interesting."

He scoffed, "To you. They are just food."

"They are interesting food."

Alec closed the book with a sharp curl of his fingers at the spine, staring at the small particle of dust stirring in the air from the disturbance.

* * *

"You're awfully curious."

Jessica blinked as she spit out the acidic content back into the plastic cup, "Please don't tell anyone that I'm drinking while underage. I was only gonna have two shots. With mango juice."

"I warned you once, did I not?" He said, ignoring her obvious indulgence of illegal doing. "Before it's too late, do what you need to do here and go quietly. Don't stir up unnecessary conflicts."

"I'm not stupid to not know that Valentina called you up." She revealed, "You people are hiding something. I know."

"There's nothing we're hiding." He said, "Just leave it be."

"And if I don't?"

"You would not want to know."

"Is it illegal?" She asked, "What you're––Heidi is doing..?"

"It's none of your business." He sharply dismissed.

"If I find out…will I die?"

Alec stilled and this was more than enough for Jessica to realise the gravity of the situation. Her body went cold and a thought that maybe she pushed her luck too much and gave into her curiosity too much popped up.

He could hear the heart beating frantically, her breath more labored and shorter in duration and her eyes trembled ever so slightly.

"Now you're scared." He muttered.

"I think this is a normal reaction." Jessica joked lightly, controlling her breath to calm down her slamming heartbeats.

"…Does the Cullens' know?"

"Still foolishly brave enough?"

Jessica sighed at her own damn curiosity, "I just want to know. Anything! The Cullens' always boggled my mind. And now you too. There's just something similar about you and them. I just can't put my finger on it. You guys aren't like some mafia family, right? Or in a cult? Or…are you an  _assassin_?"

"Remember what I said."

"I'm drunk, so I won't probably." Jessica admitted with a hiccup she attempted to hide with her palm, "I know you people are up to something because Bella's been texting me non-stop trying to check if I'm alive. So if I die, people will know."

Alec sighed and turned to leave when Jessica said, "I'm not afraid of dying anyway."

Amused, he glanced over his shoulder, "Oh?"

"Yeah, so if you gonna kill me, guess what, I'm not afraid." She confidently revealed then added later, "After I ticked off my entire bucket list and had my last supper because even Judas was nice to let Jesus eat before he made him go through all that bullshit!"

Alec's hands were tied. As long as she was within the walls of Volterra, no killings by vampires, no matter how inconspicuous it may be, were allowed.

Jessica stood up, collecting her half empty drinks and cup and decided to call it a day. Stretching her arms and back, she turned and asked, "Where do you even live anyway?"

"I live here."

"Yeah, but where?" She asked.

"Here."

"Oh I get it; you can't tell me the exact location." Jessica gasped then laughed, "Okay, I get it..shhh…"

Alec remained silent.

"I'll see you around then." She said and headed toward the cheap inn she rented.

Jessica liked taking the backstreet than through the town. There was something comfortable and familiar of the dull, broken remnant of the hidden side. It'd take her less than ten minutes of walking to get to the inn compared to almost twenty minutes with the long way. However, the short cut was too dark and too many staircases for her liking. On both sides, brick walls broken at intervals by wooden doors and houses showed back windows lighted and curtained. The light from the main street never reached the crooked alleyways and heavy, smoky smell of almost gone of perfume would irritate her nose.

Normally, the alley was empty and at a glance, there seemed to be no inhabitants in these houses if it were not for the dim lights shining through the barricaded windows. But as she descended down to her last set of narrow stairs, she noticed in the middle, two men jutted out from each corner and even in the distant; she could smell the strong liquor.

Jessica made it down half way of the stairs and few more steps down she would make it to her home. A grubby hand reached out to grab her wrist.

He said something in Italian first; a language she did not fluently understood or spoke. The alcohol coated breath mingled with her owns' in an airy steps of tango.

"Sorry, what?" Jessica asked.

"Join us?" The middle aged man slurred in thick accent.

"No, thank you." Jessica pulled her captured arm back. He pulled back.

The other man met her stares. His steel, nonchalant gaze with her expressive clashed. Her silent cry for help only met walls as he turned away and went back into the house.

"Let go!" She demanded, grabbing his wrist with her freed hand to try and free her other arm.

"Come in." He began to drag her into the house. The plastic bag slipped away from her arm and splashed onto the cement with a clang. Jessica swiveled desperately for help and just as she was hauled past the porch column, from the corner of her eye saw the still hood cladded figure on the top staircase.

"Alec!" She called in relief.

But he stood there, as if her cry for help fell on deaf ears. Numb. He seemed unbothered. Almost irritated even. A pang of anger shot through her like a sharp splinter embedded in her finger.

"ALEC!" She cried one last time. He might respond. He might not. He might turn and walk away like that man did. He'd be glad there isn't anyone poking around for secrets him and Heidi was hiding. It must be a big secret. Worth more than her life. Or maybe her life wasn't worth that much at all.

The door creaked open with stiff swing. Inside was dark and musky. A complete abyss that sucked her in like a black hole. She'd never escape if she went in.

Then something cold covered her eyes and that same coldness resonated on her chained arm before she felt airy coolness different from the solid cold she felt on her face and arm rolling around her entire form. The man said something in Italian with panic in his voice.

"Keep your eyes close and go." He whispered to her. Even in those moment, she noticed how musical his voice was now that she heard it so close.

She clenched her eyes shut; only looking down at the steps and her shoes and made it down from the hilly stairs. There was a footstep from behind her, light and controlled until it stopped beside her. His cold hand gently pried her fingers away from her wet face and a black plastic bag appeared in her sight with a rustle. She took the bag from him.

"For once you listened." He said.

"What happened to the guy?"

"He's fine." Alec said. The mist around him would disappear in few minutes and he would wake up the next morning believing it to be a dream.

"I can't believe you just flat out ignored me like that."

"You said you weren't afraid to die." He reminded her, "I wanted to see if you really meant it."

"Yeah, but not like that!" She gasped in anger, "I meant like normal death. You know when it's your time and death comes knocking about and you won't be like 'please five more days'. I meant that naturally caused death, not assaulted, murdered then thrown in a ditch kind of death!"

"Death is same." He simply said, "And very rare few have the luxury to die at their time."

"That's such an asshole thing to say."

"I never said I was kind."

Jessica gave a pointed look before collapsing on the ground as exhaustion overwhelmed her.

"You didn't do anything..illegal to the guy did you?"

"I can assure you that he is alive and fine."

"Yeah but can I say the same thing for his mental health?" Jessica craned her neck toward standing Alec with a raised brow. He turned away to face the other side.

She wanted to ask what he was hiding under there that he was so desperate to keep it hidden but kept her lips pursed. Curiosity. It was her weakness and strength. It was why she wanted to major in philosophy. There was no such thing as too much questions or probing to the philosophers.

Her eyes landed on the crest that hung on his neck instead. V shaped and blazon placed proudly in the centre. The shield was divided into quarterly fields with a tree and a bird symbols mirrored diagonally.

_V? Maybe that's his family name._

"Thanks for saving me though." She remembered to say, "Even though you were being a jerk with the five minute-let-see-what-she-does-pause, you helped in the end."

"Perhaps you should be more careful."

"I will, dad(!)" Jessica rolled her eyes with a smile, "You know, for a young kid, you sure can fight. I'm leaning more on the mafia theory."

He shouldn't have intervened. A vampire shouldn't meddle with human affairs. But her scream of his name had reminded him of Jane when they were dragged and separated by the villagers in fear that keeping them together until the burning would make their powers stronger. In that moment, he saw Jane reaching out for his hands, tears in her wavering eyes and his name on the tip of her tongue. He reacted. His control nearly slipped and almost did the unforgivable.

"You're irritating me."

Jessica smiled, lowering her head, "I get that a lot. Did you know I don't consider Forks as my home? I moved to Forks when I was young but I don't really feel like I belong there. Bella, on the other hand, she fit right in. One moment she's the new girl in town next she's going out with Edward Cullen and hanging out with the other Cullens'. I don't really see what's so special about her. You know she went into major depressive mode after Edward dumped her..she was like a zombie. I tried to tell her she shouldn't waste away her life pining after someone that left her buit I guess, in the end, it worked out for them. Wish I had her luck." There was a slight bitter in her voice tinged with envy. Drunk Jessica always equaled honest Jessica who loved to talk about her feelings.

Heaving herself up and dusting away the dirt on her jeans, she faced Alec, "You might be a jerk but…I don't think you're that bad either. Goodnight, Alec."

Alec watched as she disappeared into the street.

"You're wrong." He said after she was long gone.  _I'm a monster._

* * *

 


	3. Vampires of Volterra

 

* * *

Her morning started at five am. She would call her mum, speak about how she was doing and how they were doing and briefly reply to Bella's texts, then leave by bus toward Pontedera where Jessica boarded a seven am train to Florence. Then she would head back to Volterra and arrive at her inn around midnight. Before she came to Volterra, she already visited the mainland and other tourist places. Florence had been the last of her list to visit.

The next day, she headed to the main street and toward the castle. The castle was always bustling with tourists and locals passing through to their work. In few days, she had taken up a habit of hanging out on the top where she could see the surrounding nature of Volterra. She had not seen Alec since the incident with the drunken man and he had made it clear that he hoped this would be the last that they meet. Everything about him – his posture, appearance and clothes – exuded indifferent detachment. Just like the Cullens'. But while the distance she felt from the Cullens' were the kind people from well-to-do circles sometimes projected, from the designer clothes they wore, the expensive house they lived in and the fancy cars they drove, Alec appeared to be made to linger on a rainy day in grey November weather without being noticed.

"Some locals said the vampires still live here. As in this castle." A girl, few feet away from her, said to her boyfriend.

Jessica's ears perked up, the Volterra's past history with vampires were so embedded within its identity that, to this day, was still a subject of fascination to the locals just as it was for the tourists. Finding herself curious about the local legend, she tuned in to the conversation.

"Too bad vampires don't exist. At least in real life anyway. Actually, it's damn good thing it doesn't exist!" Her boyfriend mused as he took a snap of the picture of the scenery with his phone.

"But it's really interesting though. The old lady at our villa said that vampires had red eyes and beautiful appearances. Some even had supernatural gifts. She told me that her great ancestors even met some of them! This group of vampires came to Volterra long time ago and promised to not harm anyone living here. It was said there was three leaders and guards that were gifted. One of the ancestors said there were even young vampires who looked like they were thirteen or fourteen!"

"Please don't tell me you believe it those stuff!"

"Still, it's so interesting!" She reasoned, "Do you know how to tell if they are those Volterra vampires?"

Although sceptical, the boyfriend was just as curious as Jessica, "How?"

Jessica tipped the water bottle back, welcoming the cooling and satiating sensation down her dry throat.

"She said they all wore a unique golden V pendent necklace and a hood to shield their skin from the sun because they sparkle like diamonds."

The water jetted out from her mouth and into evaporating bubbles as it floated down the tower. She broke out into a coughing fit as her throat chocked with the regurgitating liquid and her chest tightened as if she was drowning and were resuscitated back to life.

The girl and her boyfriend jerked toward her, startled for a second before the boyfriend returned his gaze to the girl with an absurd look in his face.

"Oh come on! Sparkle? Like diamonds? Even the girl over there thinks it's so ridiculous she spat out her water. Sarah, I think you had too many wine yesterday."

"It was vodka, you king kong!" The girl retorted, "The only reason why I drank so much was because you couldn't!"

"I just didn't feel so well yesterday. I usually have a much higher tolerance."

The girl simply rolled her eyes, blew her paper cup and took a small sip of what it seemed to be a black, bitter coffee.

 _It can't be that V necklace I saw few days ago right…?_ Jessica thought before she shook herself out of absurd thought that was forming in her mind,  _Come on, vampires? What is this? Vampire Diaries? Maybe I should cut back on alcohol…_

As her cough resided, she took a careful nip of water again. Another thought snaked its way through her head.  _But why would he wear those winter coats in summer heat like this? And not get sweaty? Few times he touched me, his skin felt so cold…almost like a..corpse…_

"Oh my god, Jessica, what the hell are you thinking?" She muttered, eyes widening at her own ridiculous speculation. Her mind seemed to be writing its own dramatic novel transcending rational and logical thinking. Yet in the back of her mind, a spark of suspicion was always lurking beneath her subconscious, waiting patiently until something, anything seemed out of place.

_Come on; think about it…the Cullens' are ridiculously pale, even for people that live in a town where sun avoids to shine…maybe it's just a family trait…they're freakin adopted..maybe they're a family of vampires…oh Jessica, what the fuck are you thinking? Are you that stupid? Wearing a hood and a V-necklace must mean they must be a vampire pfft, better get my tinfoil hat on._

The couple turned to leave and Jessica repeated to herself not to follow and ask them more about the vampire stories they heard from some old woman. It was a laughable notion to her and more so to them when they realise someone seemed convinced by what could have been said as jest.

_Don't follow. Don't follow. Just leave it be. Leave it be!_

"Excuse me!" Jessica called after and her legs were already moving,  _DAMN IT JESSICA!_

The couple stopped mid-stairs and glanced over their shoulders as Jessica hurried to catch up to the pair.

"So sorry..um but can I ask from who you heard the vampire stories about?" Her cheeks heated red with embarrassment as the couple shared a look with each other before looking back. 'Someone actually believes it?' their eyes seemed to accuse.

"I'm really sorry for listening in on your conversation but..I've heard people saying this castle used to belong to the vampires and I really want to know more about it." She babbled nervously, unable to meet their eyes.

"Oh..um.." The girl started then paused then spoke again, "Well, this old lady that owns the villa we're staying at told me during the dinner. I can tell you the name of it and you can go and try to ask her about it.."

"Um, yeah, that would be great. Thank you so much." Jessica mustered a smile.

"It's called Villa Porta all'Arco. It's literally like ten minutes' walk from here." She revealed with arm pointing behind her.

"Thank you so much again!" Jessica said as she made it down the flight of stairs. The girl and the boy looked at each other once again, thinking to themselves  _'Someone's been watching too much vampire shows'._

* * *

 _Villa Porta all'Arco.._  Jessica repeated the name over and over in her head. With the help of street vendor, she was able to find the place at the outskirt of the ancient city walls. The three-story townhouse stood in the middle of the surrounding forests, curtained by the large fronds in each side like nature's columns.

She stepped forward then stepped back.  _Would she think I'm..a weirdo? What do I say? 'Hey I overheard from couple staying at your house about your ancestors meeting the Volterra's vampires, can I hear more about it?'_ Jessica inhaled, trying to muster up the courage.

 _Why would I even think of vampires being real in the first place?!_ Jessica asked herself. Her mind answered with series of flashbacks with what was just a simple casual observations of Cullens' weird behaviours and later, Bella.

They're beautiful. Inhumanely so. No one can be that perfectly looking or sounding. Their hair was always soft and voluptuous as if every morning they had the professionals take care of their styling, their skin was flawless like a blank canvas waiting to be painted and their voice had such an alluring proponent that she often wondered how all of them were able to attain them. Was there a surgery for it? Heck she Googled them and turns out such procedure actually exist. It couldn't be a passed on trait from parents, they were all adopted, so how were they all so perfect and beautiful?

They never ate. Ever. She always thought that the cheap, mass produced, over-processed cafeteria food was below their cultured taste. Their school foods weren't the best, that she agreed wholeheartedly. But she had never seen them eat anything, even things they probably could have packed from home.

They never drank. Anything. Na-dah. How they can go eight hours without drinking was beyond her. Even if they did drink something away from prying eyes, they never did try to disappear from the centre of the attentions. The only time they did was when they went to hiking with their parents. In the rare time the sun did shine in Forks.

Sun. They always disappeared when there was a sun. Granted sunshine was a rare occurrence in Forks; she tried to think of the time when they did made an appearance to school when the sun was up and she couldn't.

 _Oh no..._ Jessica groaned, for all she know it could have been some gross, misled imaginations her mind decided to make while a sixth sense of sort in her said otherwise. Shaking her head,  _this isn't right. Let's just go back._

She turned to leave when a door opened and a soft, low voice spoke, "Are you going to come in, piccolo?"

Jessica slightly jumped and twirled to see a perennial woman. She saw that she was much older than she originally thought. Perhaps in her late 70s given wizened lines in her face, deep and saggy–– like the skin slipping down the skull underneath and her loosely tied powder-white hair was thinning and her smile showed that her teeth were rather yellow. Along with this, it could be seen that the lips, once beautifully full, were dry and cracked. Her eyes appeared milky in certain light and angle but they were gleaming with energy and while her face appeared world weary at times, she was active and alert.

"Uh…hello, I'm Jessica Stanley."

"Ciao, you can call me Giada. Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, uh, nah, I was just looking around…" Jessica shook her head apologetically, "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"You look like you have something you want to ask." She sharply noticed and opened the door further, "Come in, child."

Jessica was startled by her insight before approaching the villa and entered the house as Giada closed the door.

"Would you like any drink?" The old lady asked as she guided her into the drawing room.

"No, thank you, it's fine." Jessica smiled as took a seat in the sofa across Giada.

Once settled, Giada looked at Jessica expectedly, "How can I help you?"

"Um, well, I was wondering if you could tell me more about the…um, Volterra's vampires." Jessica started and quickly added, "I overheard the conversation from this couple that was staying here that you told them about the legend of vampires and umm…"

Giada stilled and stared into Jessica's eyes as if searching for something in her.

"People may believe it's a mere legend but they are real." She revealed as she carefully studied the change of expressions in Jessica's countenance, "My ancestor have met them. Very civilized and adhered to strict laws they have created. It was said their beauty was so god-like that human men and women who saw them would fall in love with them."

"I heard that they also had guards that were gifted?"

"Yes. Very gifted. Very powerful that one should not judge them by appearances." Then she stood up to retrieve something from the locked glass cupboard. When she came back, in her hands were thickly bounded tattered book covered with dust and mites.

"My ancestors wrote accounts of their arrivals and of their chasings by St. Marcus. Although they suspected they were not chased away but went into hiding underground for the fear of the local's reprisals." She gently pushed the diary toward Jessica and she picked it up with great care.

It was written in cursive Italian, which she did not understand and she perused the pages when something loose fell out and onto the marble floor. Picking up, she realised it was various sketches of portraits. The first one was of two young children, about fourteen or fifteen, and they were angelically beautiful. The boy, whose lip was not as full as the girl but just as lovely, was significantly taller than the girl. Although it was hard to make out, they shared similarities one would see in biologically related siblings or twins.

"Ah yes, the youngest vampires in the coterie." She said, noticing Jessica's fascination with them. Something about the boy was familiar. His piercing, cold eyes were a stranger but his nose and lips sparked a forgotten memory.

"Do you know their names?" She asked without looking up, still fascinated by the drawing.

"No. Only the leaders."

"Can I ask how your ancestors knew them so..well?" Jessica's hand hovered above the boy's face and as Giada spoke, "One of my ancestors, a woman named Valeria, was a lover of Francesco Solimena, the painter who drew these." Jessica horizontally twisted her wrist so that her hand covered the top part of his face. Shiver sparked down her spine as she took in the newly formed picture and realised why she seemed to think she saw him before. It was Alec. No. It must have been a person that looked like Alec.

Jessica sweep to the next page and almost dropped the old, frail parchments. Had she been standing, her knees would have gave out and collapse on the ground. Her breath laboured with panic. The familiar and unique crest stared back at her mockingly as it gleefully confirmed her greatest fear. It was the same V crest that was hung on Alec's neck.

"W..what is the leaders name…?" Jessica whispered weakly. The third and final parchment showed three men sat on the thrones as equal rulers. The one in the centre and on the right could not be any older than in their mid-twenties while the man on the left, looking utterly depressed, seemed to be in his forties. What shocked her was how beautiful they all were. God-like, Giada said and Jessica agreed. It was unnerving to see such perfections when the nature despised perfections. They seemed like human yet in a way they weren't. Humans were so imperfect, both visually and psychologically. Humans were the epitome of imperfections. The nature made sure of that. But these people – the vampires – had violated this sacred rule. It was almost as if to evoke a thought their existence itself weren't the work of divine being to others. A very first warning to the impending danger.

"Aro, Caius and Marcus…and their friend," Giada closed her eyes as if she was searching for the final name in her mind.

The fourth man, dressed just as aristocratic as the leaders, was standing nearer to them than anyone by the side. Rather than as their right hand man and confidante, it seemed to convey favour and friendship this man was bestowed. The parchment in her hand seemed to move and appear in two dimensions like seeing through a kaleidoscope tube and realised it was her own hand that were shaking uncontrollably.

"Carlisle I believe his name was. A doctor, he said he was."

Giada studied the fear and dread on Jessica's face wordlessly, even when her tan skin became pale as a paper, stood up and rushed out of the house.

Her legs continued running, ignoring the stares from the people she had pushed past unintentionally and the burnings she felt spreading through her body from below. Closing the door behind her loudly, she slid down to the floor in shock.

It can't be. The old lady must be senile and she must be crazier to even believe her. There was no such thing as vampires. They could have been Carlisle's ancestor. A great-great-great grandfather that just had scary resemblance to Dr. Cullen she knew. Vampires only existed in TVs and movies and fictions and the necklace she saw Alec wearing must have been some sort of homage to the legend. She let out a breathy, empty laugh and shook her head, "Yeah that must be it. Gosh what was I thinking. Vampires. Yeah right."

Her phone that had escaped her pocket when she ran inside, tinged as a text popped up on screen.

**_Bella:_ ** _What are you doing? :)_

With shaking hand, she picked up the phone. She gulped. Then deep breathe then out. Sliding the text, she pressed the call button and heard the dialing tones.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Bella." Jessica greeted, voice slightly wavering.

_"What's up? You okay?"_

"Yeah, guess what I found out about today?"

_"What?"_

"Did you know there's this local legend about these vampires of Volterra?"

A dead silent. Then stutter, "U-uh, n-no, really? Woah, that's so interesting!"

Jessica imagined Bella biting her lips from the other side of the phone. She had always been bad at hiding and lying. Not that she was better, but she was more efficient and aware.

"Yeah, apparently there were these three vampire leaders." Jessica continued and when Bella said nothing she added, "Their names were apparently Aro, Caius and Marcus. It's crazy…but I saw a painting of them and there was a man who looked a lot like Dr. Cullen."

The pause was heavy and palpable. The whole world seemed to have died. If one were to drop a pin in the next door, she'd hear it.

 _Please laugh and say 'I'm crazy' and that it's all just a weird coincidence,_  Jessica prayed.

"That sounds cool." Bella managed at last.

"Edward might know, you know probably heard it from Heidi or something. Or Dr. Cullen, that might be his great-great grandpa or something." Jessica let out a vain chuckle.

Another pause. Shorter this time.

"Yeah, he might have." She said.

"Hey, Bella, I gotta go."

"Jess––"

She hung up and the phone cluttered on the floor. Jessica stood and limply fell on to the bed. She didn't want to think anything else. After hours of tossing and turning, she finally fell into a restless sleep.

In her dream, she imagined the angelically beautiful vampires and the leaders coming to life and their crimson eyes boring into her blue ones. Behind them, stood Carlisle; melancholy look in his eyes.

* * *

The next day, she had been spending all her mornings on Googling what probably was the most bizarre and comical questions. On her phone, popped up a message saying she had seven missed calls from Bella.

'help, I found out someone I know is a vampire'

'what to do when you know a vampire'

'vampires real?'

'vampire history'

'how to tell if they're a vampire'

'vampire weakness'

'vampire'

There were so many myths and legends about vampires, each positing different weakness, strengths, characteristics and its origin. But most seemed to agree that vampires were unnaturally beautiful, pale, drank blood and had heightened strength and senses beyond human capabilities. And undead.

It was said that they could be killed or harmed by garlic, holy items, wooden stakes, silver and sunlight. Which sounded a bit silly. Because if, and  ** _if_** , Cullens and Alec and Heidi were vampires, which Jessica had her doubt, most of weakness written here didn't seemed to affect them at all.

She knew Alice and Rosalie loved to wear gold and silver jewelries and Alec didn't seem too bothered by the sunlight. And Dr. Cullen worked in a hospital as a doctor for heaven sake ––which was not a wise career to take if your only edible diet consisted of human blood. Jessica was beginning to think they were as reliable as child's fairytale. But Giada said that the Carlisle in the painting was also a doctor. Either Dr. Cullen was lying or he had an impeccable control over his..uh, hunger?

She's been treated by Dr. Cullens ever since he and his family arrived in town. The first time they met was when she nearly died after slipping on a dog biscuit in the kitchen, did a somersault in the air and fell face flat on the marble floor, broke her nose and busted a lip bad that by the time she arrived in the hospital her hair, face, legs and white PJ dress were covered in blood like she had just came out from the murder scene. Dr. Cullen simply laughed and treated her. She never gotten the feeling he wanted to eat her then.

But would her finding out that the Cullens' were vampires change her views toward them? They were weird and unjustly perfect but would that make her go and buy herself a cross, silver and a stake to protect herself if they did turned out to be vampires? Turn her back on them and be scared and afraid when she hadn't before? If they were a vampire, they had so many chances to kill her and others but they didn't. In fact, other than the weird serial killings of people by some wild animals or something, the Forks didn't have any fresh bodies turning up at the morgue weeks after weeks. If they were responsible for those deaths, why then, why wait few years to start killing?

Does the fact that they were vampires mean everything they were before meant nothing? Can she let it defined them? 'They're vampires, so that mean they kill people and are dangerous and are monsters'? When they drank human blood, did they kill them or do some memory wiping magic and let them go their own way?

Jessica massaged her aching temples, groaning as her phone buzzed once again. If Alec were a vampire, why didn't he kill her before?

 _Because they don't kill those within these walls._ She remembered the lady's words. The last thing they want was vampires going around recklessly killing people in sight and flaming people's ire.  _Because humans, no matter how powerless they may be against vampires, won't just idly stand around and wait for their turn. They're gonna die trying._

So did that mean as long as she stayed within these walls, Alec can't do anything? Or Heidi? Would she be fucking stupid enough to try? Test out her little crazy, wacky theory of hers'? Sometimes she wondered where she gets this confidence from while sober. They say that there's no confidence utterly foolish and inane than the drunks' but she might have topped that level of insanity.

What if Alec isn't a vampire and when he hears what she tried to do, he'd laugh at her? Call her crazy and a fool, as he liked to say. But as she glanced at the phone vibrating on her bed and the notification showing she now had ten missed calls from Bella, why was it that everything seemed to be pointing to this absurd, ridiculous notion of hers'?

_Please let this be not true._

Grabbing her phone, the bag and closing her laptop screen, she left her room.

* * *

Her footsteps were languid and burdened with mix of emotions; trepidation, apprehension, nervousness with a touch of foreboding sense of catharsis. Her heart palpitated painfully against her ribcage as she arrived in front of the gate that would presumably lead to the castle.

 _'Hey, it might sound crazy but I still gotta ask: are you a vampire?'_ She repeated the script over and over in her head. Then a quick yes or no would be more than enough.

She waited for him to come. Like a prey waiting for its predator's arrival to face the inevitable. He always seemed to know she was here and there doesn't seem to be any CCTV around for someone to tell Alec, 'Alec, the crazy girl is here, again. Kick her out would you?'

"Was my previous warning not enough?" The musical voice said from behind her.

She turned, slowly, to face the mystery boy in dark hood in a Midsummer Day. The boiling heat doesn't seem to affect him and she could almost feel coolness emitting from him.

 _Okay, Jessica, start with 'Hey, it might sound crazy…'_ Her mind calmly began.

She opened her mouth and asked, "Are you a vampire?"

_JESSICA STANLEY, I SAID TO BEGIN WITH 'HEY, IT MIGHT SOUND CRAZY', YOU DON'T GO HARDCORE STRAIGHT!_

But the water has been spilt. The boy was still like a statue, and then glided toward her, closing the gap in two long strides. His movements segued smoothly that she could not call it a walk.

"What make you think I'm a vampire?"

"Well, they say vampires have different coloured eyes or something, right?" Jessica ventured.

He did not answer her.

"You always have your face covered." Jessica reasoned wearily, "Show me your face."

He was close enough for her to see the corner of his lip twitch upward, "You're treading on a dangerous line here."

Final warning, he was telling her. Turn around and walk away before you have a chance, it was saying. She had a chance to go back to her usual musing of him being a mafia or a cult member or an assassin. She might be happy and glad deluding herself with these more logical theories instead of dangerous, outrageous supernatural ones.

Jessica wanted to run, quickly mutter out 'sorry, I'm drunk!' and go on about her life in Volterra and leave quietly, treasuring her meeting with Alec and Heidi as one of those nice but insignificant people that'll have little impact on her in the future as she lived. They could be those forgotten memories. The forgotten faces of the strangers she had walked past in a random, foreign street.

Her arm reached up, hesitant whether he'll let her do what she wanted to do. When he made no move to stop her, she grabbed the edge of the hood.

"It's your very last chance." He said in a low voice that was too unfamiliar to her. It was strange hearing him speak like that. She was so used to his friendly tone.

Gulping down her fears, she slowly pulled down the hood until it rested on his neck.

Jessica blinked against the still ones.

Blue met red.

Jessica wished it was coloured contacts. A very expensive, realistic contacts. Heidi had her purples ones and Alec had red ones. Just a unique individual's taste. She wished.

The face that stared back at her was the very same one in the drawing that she had seen next to the girl. Even after all these years and times, his delicate face remained unchanging and forever lovely than the finished painting in the Vatican. One would think he was an ordinary young boy were it not for the sharpness in his eyes that could only come with time. His eyes were striking colour of crimson glided with long, thick dark lashes. She thought the drawing did not do him justice because he was so much more complete and deeper than the elaborate strokes on a paper.

"…Am I going to die now?" It came out in a hoarse whisper.

"I can't let you live now that you know who I am." His arm reached out toward her. The same arm that saved her from the drunken man now bore out its claws to kill.

"W-wait!" She stepped back, "You can't kill me. Not at least when I'm still in these walls."

He stilled and tilted his head, "Where did you obtain that information?"

_He might try to kill Giada._

"..B-Bella!" She lied, "She said you don't kill people here."

"That law doesn't apply to those that know our identity." He stepped forward and she stepped back until she could feel the solidness of the wood on her shoulders and rear.

She felt the tear gathering in the corner of her eyes.  _You're such a suicidal idiot,_ her mind told her. It was all her fault. She could have walked away when he gave her the chance but she needed to know. She was so tired of wondering, wondering what the Cullens' were hiding, wondering why Bella was acting so weird ever since she got involved with Edward, wondering why the cycle started again with Alec and Heidi.

And she got her answers that she sought out. With a price. Her life. Was she satisfied now? Happy? Or is it the 'I told you so' case?

"Is Alec even your real name?" She asked for what was probably her last.

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Vampire age." She clarified.

He smiled and although she had seen him smile before with half of his face hidden, her breath hitched at the sight.

"I don't keep count."

"You're not gonna believe me even if I say I'm not gonna tell anyone that you're a vampire."

"We don't take any risk."

We. That meant he wasn't alone. There were others. Other vampires. In Volterra. The vampires of Volterra.

"Give me a chance."

"We do not give any chances." His arm grabbed her neck, the other her shoulder. Tear slipped down her cheek in silent mourn as she felt his breath hover above the crook of her neck.

"Do you think…you can have my body sent to my parents?" She asked, staring at the large, mature tree over his shoulder.

"Your body will be destroyed."

She felt the strength leaving her body as she surrendered to her inevitable death. Closing her eyes, tears squeezed onto her cheeks as she imagined her parents' reaction to the daughter that vanished and will never be found gripped her heart like vine of thorns embracing it tightly.

"It was nice meeting you, Alec." She said before becoming limp in his arm. The phone buzzed frantically in her pocket.

 


	4. Suspicion? Wanting to believe that it's not true!

 

* * *

 

When she awoke in her bed, for a very long moment she believed God took pity on her and allowed her in. It seemed the heaven took after the last moment of place the person died in. Or a place she found comfortable and relaxing. If that were the case, she'd preferred it to be her family home. At least, she was so glad the heaven wasn't some strange, random people coming up to you with a grin, a welcome cake and balloon with 'Welcome to Heaven, Jessica!' The comfortable, familiar scenery made it easier for her to come to term with her death.

 _It's not as painful as I thought..getting killed by a vampire that is._ Jessica thought.

Her phone buzzed again,  _uh…this is very..Matrix like._

She picked up the phone and saw that it was Bella. Confused, she pressed accept and held it in her ear.

"Um..hello?"

 _"Jessica…?"_  Bella sounded as if she had been crying.

"I-is this real?"

_"What?"_

"I'm dead. Why are you calling me? Are you even real? Is anything real?"

_"Dead? What are you talking about?! What did you do, Jessica?! You don't just go up to a vampire like him and say you know he's a vampire!"_

She blinked, utterly confused, "Wait, what? I'm not dead? I'm alive?"

_"I can't believe you! UGH! You're supposed to be the sensible one!"_

"That's Angela's role!"

_"Do you know what you've done?! I can't even––"_

"I know. I'm so fucking stupid. Yeah call me that." Jessica buried her head in her laps, "I prayed it was some sick joke. Vampires? Yeah right. So how come I'm still alive? I woke up thinking I was dead! I mean you can't really wake up dead.."

_"…I'm sorry, Jessica, but we had no choice."_

"No choice? What do you mean?"

_"He gave me two choices. Either he kills you or…"_

"He kills me or what?"

_"…Or turn you into…"_

Jessica nervously laughed, "Bella, turn me into what? A bear? A cat? What?"

They both knew the answers but neither was willing to put into sounds.

"No, no fucking way! I'm not–NO FREAKIN WAY! Uh huh! There's no way I'm going to be a vampire, ever!" Jessica angrily hung up then immediately regretted drowning Bella with the blame. It was her fault that this happened and Bella only did what she could do to save her from the imminent death.

She left the room with only her phone and the room key in hand and ran back to the hidden tunnel, ignoring others' staring. By the time she was there, it was night time.

"Alec, come out! I know you can hear me and I freakin hate cold so come out!" She yelled to the surrounding air.

"I'm here." The voice said just behind her. She jumped at the close proximity he gained in such a short time and in absolute dead silence.

This time, he did not hide his face. The crimson glistened under the moon; the perfect epitome of a dangerous vampire in the moonlight.

"Kill me."

A frown marred his otherwise flawless face.

"What?" For the first time she met him, he sounded uncertain and puzzled.

"Kill me." She said once more, "Take my blood whatever, j-just kill me."

"Have you gone mad?" He asked her.

"I heard from Bella. I'm not gonna become a vampire, never. Ever. So you might as well just kill me now."

"Oh?" He raised one of his delicate brows, "A human that don't want to live forever." He accentuated the phrase as if it were strange to put them in a same sentence. It did sound strange. An oxymoron; a lock and a key forcibly clicked together.

"I don't want to live forever." She confirmed, "I don't want to be a vampire."

His face contorted into something she couldn't clearly identify. Was it anger? Irritation? Or something else entirely?

"Why? Most humans given the chance would gladly take this opportunity." He said with a streak of pride; the reaching of the very fundamental limits of physiological evolution.

"I don't think you know many humans." She said with confidence, "I don't know about the others but becoming a vampire isn't what I want."

"Because we're monsters." She was taken aback by the firmness of his voice. It had an ominous edge to his tone.

Jessica had only briefly considered the connotations vampires had with the image of being a monster and came to the conclusion that one should not judge a kind on the actions few individuals may do.

"I don't think vampires are monsters." She said, remembering the Cullens' and the kind works of Dr. and Mrs. Cullens, "If you have to question whether you're a monster or not, you might wanna think back on what actions you took to assume that rather than a simple 'because I'm a vampire'. I just want to live my life, grow old and die. That's all I want, Alec."

"Unfortunately, you don't always get what you want." He said after a moment of silence with sagacity, "You lost that privilege the moment you revealed that you knew I was a vampire."

"So kill me." She said with the fool's courage.

"No." He smirked, "You shall live with the decision that you have made and you will pay for it."

_Great, Jessica. Well done. You can force him to kill you. Threaten to tell people that the vampire is real. Who's gonna believe it? They'll just chuck you into a crazy house._

Jessica had never in her life wanted to give herself a slap or two of the century. A bit of head hitting and hair pulling too, if that'd make her feel any better.

_Alec's right. You made your decision and you have to pay for it._

He left her as she wept out her sorrows on the cold night floor.

For the rest of that night until the sun came up, both minds were occupied with each other's' words. That night was longer than any other nights they've had.

* * *

The five stages of grief posit that one go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. It could take months and years to get to the acceptance stage or never. But Jessica felt like she went through all five stages within a night. Albeit no one had died, in a sense she will. Sooner of later.

**Jessica:** _Bella, I'm really raelly sorry I was such a bitch last night. It's all my fault, I shouldn't have said those words. I'm safe, don't worry. I'll…call you when I just you know get to terms with it. I'm safe. Please don't worry about me too much. And thanks for everything. Please give me some time, please._

She pressed send to the message before turning off the phone. Ever since that incidence, she'd find herself dazing away while doing her daily rituals. She'd wake up and sit up on her bed, staring at the walls for hours, she would be eating and just stare at her food until it became cold and unappetizing, she would be walking back to her home only to find herself wandering off to a nowhere. What was she searching for?

Jessica began going out more and exploring more of Italy. She became so much aware and appreciative of time. How fast it seemed to tick away. How much for granted she and others seemed to have taken of seconds and minutes. She'd experience the feeling of panic when she couldn't do as much as she wanted each day. A time sensitive ticking bomb.

While she began going out more and exploring more of Italy, her meeting with Alec wasn't much of passive one-sided, suspect and guess anymore. Bizarrely enough, the two seemed to seek out each other for the solace to their confusion and questions. She wanted to know more about the vampires; he wanted to know why she didn't want to become a vampire.

"If you become a vampire, do you have to drink human blood?" She asked him one day, as they sat beside each other on the bench. Her legs were brought up to her chest and her body slightly angled toward him. She'd often study his side profile like an artist admiring one's muse while waiting for his answers.

"I do." He said, delighted when she shuddered at his answer, "The Cullens' don't."

She frowned, "Wait, you drink human blood but they don't? What do they drink? Vitamin water?"

"Animal blood."

Her brows shot up in surprise, "Animal blood? So like what, they're your kind's version of…vegan? Wait no, vegetarian? Or pescatarian?"

"St. Carlisle prefers it vegetarian." He said.

"St. Carlisle?"

"A..jest of sort with his unwillingness to drink human blood."

Jessica smiled. It sounded like what Dr. Cullen would do.

"Does that mean Mrs. Cullen and their children drink animal blood too?"

"Yes."

The answer was an unexpected one. Like being given a surprise gift from someone you didn't anticipate. She always thought they were spoiled, shallow immature rich kids that didn't really care for others than themselves. After all, that's what they seemed to exude to others and seemed fine with it. Now, she saw them in a new light; a more appreciative and kinder one than before.

"Tell me," He began, "Why are you not afraid of death?"

Jessica hummed in deep thought. There was not much reason, to her at least, to fear death. She shrugged, "I don't know, I just don't. I think it's that thinking, 'nothing last forever' so I don't have high hope for anything lasting for eternity. But I think dying painfully would be shitty though. I'm hoping for a 'die in your sleep' kinda goodbye."

"I can do that." He suddenly said, "If you want."

"Huh?"

"Give you your 'die in your sleep' death."

"You can?" She frowned, and then narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "How?"

"I have a gift."

 _Right!_ Jessica remembered,  _Giada said some vampires had gifts._

"Really?!" Her face brightened up with a grin, "What kind of gift?"

"I take away your senses." He seemed to enjoy the attention she gave him. Even though it was very subtle, the ghost of a smile was there.

"Senses? As in like taste, sound, sight that kind of thing?" He nodded, "No freakin way! What? Like how the hell is that even possible? Is it painful?"

"Not so much." Then he brought up his hand toward her face and with a challenging smug in his eyes, he dared, "Would you like to try…? Death I mean?"

He was toying with her. She knew. Alec wanted her to pay the price for her foolish choice and he would not let her escape so easily. More so, he was challenging her. 'Are you foolish enough? Brave enough?' the gesture seemed to almost say, 'Enough to allow a vampire to put your life at its hand?" Would it be courage or idiocy if she did? What price would she pay for this decision?

Minutes went by and the pressure to say either 'yes' or 'no' was bubbling underneath the surface. She couldn't decipher the cryptic expression in his face as he patiently waited for her answer.

"You know, I don't really know you." She began, attentively studying for any changes, "I only found out like few days ago that you're a vampire –– who is fifteen but actually isn't; you tried to kill me but for whatever reason, you let me live, you seemed a bit pessimistic but I guess if someone lives as long as you, they're not really gonna be excited about life or it might be just that you're stuck in that teenage emo period forever, and you saved me from that weirdo."

Based on her little, vague summary, she came to conclude he wasn't that bad though neither truly good. Jessica had a long, heartfelt conversation with her mum the night before about life in general. Her mum knew something had happened although she did not quizzed it further, but listened to her constructed white lies and gave her words of comforts.

 ** _'Don't look for answers.'_** She said, ' ** _Right and wrong answers co-exist in every decision. Wise people make a choice and make it the right answer. Foolish people regret the decision and make it the wrong decision. There is no right answer in life. There is only the process to make it the right answer.'_**

Would she make the choice the one she'd be proud of or regret?

Can she trust him? Trust this vampire? His actions reminded her vagary of the flowing water; unpredictable. It felt like looking at him through a mist, hazy and blurry. Sometimes, she thinks she can make him out but it might just be a cast of illusion, a ghostly shape of something that's not actually there.

"Hey Alec…" She leery reached out to meet his stretched fingers with hers'. Their skin was a stark contrast; his pale, long fingers tingled like a spark of a match against her warm, chubby fingers, "I trust you." The simple three words were the heaviest it ever been.

 _I hope I don't regret this._ Jessica inwardly said to herself.  _Super-duper hoping I don't regret this._

Something in Alec's expression did change but it was too quick for her to catch it. She wasn't sure she'd know even if she did.

"You shouldn't." He said and before she could do anything, the shimmering hazy vapor seeped out of the tip of his fingers and wrapped around her own before snaking down her arms, split open and up her shoulders and neck, down her waist and legs until she was consumed.

Her first instinct was panic as her survival tools were robbed away from her. The sight of Alec and his smoke were the last thing she saw before darkness clouded over her eyes like a cataract, the smell of salty air became absent like the time she had cold and her nose were blocked, the cool sensation of the bench and Alec's fingers seemed to evaporated beneath her until it was as if she was floating in numbing abyss; sunk into the bottom of the ocean and ceased to exist beyond that. It was horribly frightening. And… lonely.

Although aware she was moving her arms in search for something that she could feel, she had no idea where her arms were going or touching. Her mouth opened to say something, only she couldn't hear it nor could she feel her lips smacking together to form sound. 'Enough, Alec', she felt herself say. Vocally or in thought, she didn't know.

'Alec.' She wasn't aware how long she was under the influence, but without her senses, every second was arduous. It was driving her crazy.

The mist sucked back into his fingers, undoing his power. Her senses overwhelmed her like a crushing wave; working overtime filtering and processing alien stimulus what was, for a while, nothing. Absolute sensory deprivation, even for a few minute, seemed fatal to the mind and body.

When her senses came back, Jessica noticed her hands tightly gripping Alec's coat tightly and her skin damp with sweat and panting heavily.

"How did it feel? Death."

"I was about to go crazy." She said truthfully, letting his coat go. "Does every vampires have..like these kind of powers?"

"Not everyone." He replied.

"Oh, so you're like special even for a vampire?" Jessica grinned teasingly.

"I am special." He smiled, showing his perfect pearly teeth.

"Yeah, well still doesn't change the fact you can be jerk sometimes." She retorted, although her tone was one of jest. "How long Bella knew about vampires, anyway?"

"Far longer than we would have liked." He carefully replied after much consideration.

"How come she's still..human?"

He looked at her with confidence, "She won't be for too long."

Jessica wasn't sure how she should feel about Bella becoming a vampire. Did she want it? Or was it like her case, an unfortunate coincidence?

"Hey Alec…why didn't you kill me?" She asked. The question had been on her mind ever since she woke up in her bed, unharmed and still human, despite him intending to suck her dry.

"We don't kill the dwellers here."

"But I know you're a vampire. You said I don't count." She repeated back his words.

"The risk of killing you was much greater than letting you live. I know you won't tell. Just like the other human."

"Her name's Bella."

"Her name is of no concern to me."

"That's rude."

"Indifference." He corrected her as if a parent to a child. She suspected he often forgot his own physical age that was frozen forever. Alec oozed decade-old maturity that seemed to imply he had been living for much longer than he looked. Unsuspecting humans would blame it on the concealment of his childhood side and on his less self-absorbed and substantial sense of self-awareness many kids his age seemed to lack. Oh, if they knew.

Alec's crimson eyes were always an alluring feature of his that Jessica seemed to get captured by so often. The red reminded her of blood when it spills out of its host and hit the air, and she'd often notice the colour varied in vividness. It was fascinating to see his eyes go from the rose red to the deepest of black.

"Does vampires' eye colour supposed to change like that?"

"It depends on our thirst."

Jessica gaped, brows gradually rising up her forehead, "Well…uh..you're eyes are completely black now. Last time it was red."

"It meant I haven't fed as of recent."

That was all she needed to hear for her to shuffle away to create a distance between her and Alec. Jessica glanced at Alec, on guard, although with playful eyes to say to him that she didn't meant it too seriously.

"Well, why didn't you…you know, drink?"

"I will." He gently said, "I'm waiting."

She followed the direction of his gaze, "Waiting for what? No one comes here except if they get lost and somehow end up here like I did…"

No one except…

"Heidi."

A glance was all it took for her to confirm her suspicion, "Those tourists that Heidi brings…they're…" She trailed off with shaky breath. She felt sick. Her stomach did a full twist and turns inside her and threatened to disgorge her stomach content. She turned toward the door; the door that she could have walked in when she knew no better, if it were not for Bella's intervening call, she could have been another nameless face among the other oblivious tourists.

"A wise choice you made on that day, no?" He smiled at her in an almost mocking gesture, "Now, tell me and say you don't think vampires are monsters."

She was glad to bring a water bottle along. Unscrewing the cap, she took a big gulp of the soothing liquid before putting it back inside the bag. The movements were slow, methodical. Buying time.

Now that she knew why the tourists were here for, it meant that the tourists were killed and disposed of. Like the inedible leftovers you throwaway. Humans were food to them; to the human blood drinkers. She was a food to them.

Angela went vegetarian at the start of this year, citing unnecessary cruelty to the animals. She'd often try to sway her from eating too much meat and dairy product, reminding her that a calf was taken away from its mother cow for its milk, a pig that was as intelligent as dogs and with feelings were killed for that bacon. People didn't care. To them, they were just cattle. Just a pig and a cow. She could have been that pig has she gone in. Jessica Stanley  **is** just a pig to the vampires. Humans were their food in their chain. They were simply doing what the nature had revolutionised them to do. They were the apex predator just like humans were on top of animals in the nature's chain.

She didn't have the right to be critical of their killing of humans. Angela might be able to but not her. The feeling of nausea seemed to calm down slightly. A disturbing perverted condolence.

"I don't have the right to call you a monster, Alec." She objectively said, meeting his now dark, depthless eyes, "You drink blood to survive like how I eat food to survive. What's so monstrous about that?" The words were difficult to say. Almost sick and twisted. After all, it was her kind that was being butchered in there.

She gathered her bag, slipped it over her shoulder and stood up. "I should go…uh have a nice…umm," She checked her watch. It read 6.50PM. "..Have a nice dinner, Alec."

Jessica left the clearing without glancing back at Alec. If she had, she'd see mix of emotions flashing past his eyes. Not long after she had gone, Heidi arrived with the group of tourists that would not be seen after that day.

* * *

A part of her wanted to turn on the phone. Another part didn't want to check what Bella had replied. Lots of angry emojis, she bet. And capital lettered words and exclamations. She sent her parents a long message on how she won't be able to call for a while and they shouldn't worry and how much she loved them and that she was definitely doing fine and needed some time for her to think about her future.

She also thinks Alec and her is somewhat of a friend. Jessica liked to consider him as a friend although she didn't know how he felt about her. Maybe he saw her as a pig with a name and a personality. She hoped he did. That was better than seeing her as another faceless cattle next to a whole lot of others.

She'd often dream about him. Alec hovering over her while she slept to the sound of pitter patter of rain and thunderstorm against her window. Sometimes she thinks he's contemplating to eat her or not; was she worth more dead or alive? One day, she found two volume of book by her bedside. The book was rare, considered to be among the most valuable book in the world, and her philosophy teacher had promised anyone who found that book and bring it to him, he'd give all the students an A for the a quiz of their choosing (as long as they were not a major part of the grade) and a very sparkly recommendation letter for the said student. It was called Gutenberg Bible. And it was sitting by her bedside like a half read forgotten late night read.

Jessica didn't know how valuable, rare and expensive the book was until she Googled the book cover and realise she had in her hands, the most revered text in the world. It was at least worth a million dollars, she read. The books conditions were in marvelous condition, almost in a timeless warp like its owner. She had mentioned it to Alec in passing by conversation about her hunt for the book without breaking into the library and risking prison. Not to mention, her teacher always made bet for impossible things every year and it'd be her lifetime wish to see the look on the teacher's face when one of the students actually succeeded.

Carefully wrapping the books with her scarf and gently inside her bag, she headed to their usual meeting point.

"Alec." A light call of his name. Few minutes later and he'd appear without a sound, as if he had been carried by the wind and dropped there. Then he'd make a sound, loud enough for her to hear. She'd greet him first with a smile, he would acknowledge her, and then she would talk while he listened to her mundane topic of the day. On occasions, he'd ask questions and she'd do her best to answer. Their quotidian routine that resembled a bit of ordinary she craved.

"Oh my God, Alec, are you serious?" She held up the books, almost as if it were a toddler in her hands. "Like this book can buy a country."

"You said you needed them, no?"

"I mean, holy, Mr. T is gonna be shook, like shook shook, when I bring this to him!" Jessica excitedly revealed, "Do you have  **any** idea how many people are gonna lose their shit because of this book? We waited nearly FOUR years!" Jessica squealed in delight and threw her arms around Alec's neck. He flinched away. She moved back, realising his discomfort.

"Sorry."

"Do not touch me without my permission." His words came out slowly, sounding soft on the outside but with a sharp edged threat at the centre.

"Right, sorry. How am I gonna bring this back to you? Please don't tell me I have to take another plane to Italy, a train and a bus to give this back; not sure if you know but economy these days aren't that good."

He seemed entertained by the idea, "Hand it to Edward. He'll bring it back. Or simply keep it."

"No, this–I can't keep this. I don't trust myself that I won't spill vodka on it or something stupid."

"I'm surprised you're aware of your own folly."

Jessica forced a smile, "Thanks, Alec, for that unnecessary comment. If I didn't read the definition of folly yesterday by coincidence, I wouldn't know."

"You're welcome." He replied cynically.

His dry, sardonic humour often reminded her of her auntie's gallows humour, who worked as a surgeon in a neighboring town and liked to make off-putting medical jokes that would often have people confused, disgusted or shock or all three. She guessed it was a part of survival in the job, dealing with life, death and sad stories every day; one had to be able to laugh at it.

"Wait…how did you get in my room?" Jessica's eyes widened, "And how the hell do you know where I live?"

"I followed your scent and you leave your windows open."

"But I stay in like the third floor." She reasoned, "Can vampires fly?"

"We jump." He corrected.

"Well…that's a bit creepy and Law and Order: SVU-ish." Jessica couldn't help but wonder if her dreams of Alec, some if not all, really was just a dream. She hoped it was. There was no way she'd allow a vampire to see her weird, stupid sleeping habits.

"I've always wondered but how come Heidi has purple eyes and you don't?" She asked after a brief beat.

"Contacts." He curtly said.

Jessica blinked at the implication, "So that means you can hide your real eye colour with contacts? It works?"

"For few hours," He revealed.

"Why just few hours? Does it dissolve or something?" Jessica jokingly suggested.

"Yes." The answer was unexpected but she wanted to know more.

"Wait, why?" She was genuinely curious. Alec noticed that.

"Our body has no need for blood anymore. When we turn into a vampire, our venom replaces all the process and function in the body; even the eyes and the venom burns through the contacts after only a few hours."

Jessica allowed a moment to sink the information in before asking him, "Does that mean you cry venom or…"

"We don't cry. We cannot."

"That's sad."

"What's so sad about not being able to cry? We still feel the same sadness just like humans, only much greater."

"What do you mean greater?"

"Our emotions are enhanced. More than you can imagine?"

"So if someone I loved die, I'd be really sad and if the same thing happened to you, your feeling of sadness would be much, much greater than the level of sadness that I feel?"

"Your theoretic example is correct."

"That's horrible. Is there an off switch like Vampire Diaries? Do you even know Vampire Diaries?" She asked with a frown.

"We cannot shut down our emotions." He said then added, "I do not know which you base your assumption on."

"Well, Vampire Diaries is basically like about vampires and humans fighting and stuff, it's for people my age, and vampires in there can like decide to switch off their emotions when things become too difficult."

"How convenient." He commented.

"That's so sad." She muttered, "Not being able to cry even when you want to…it's like not being able to get drunk when you want to get drunk. That must be so painful."

"I would not know about that."

"Luckily, me either. Let's hope it stays that way." Jessica said, "You know, I really don't think vampires are monsters now that I know they feel so much more than humans."

"You shouldn't say such things so easily."

"Well, I only have you to go on. And a bit from Cullen's as well." She grinned as their eyes met, "And I think you're far from a monster."

Neither looked away for a long time.


	5. Dripping and Shining

 

* * *

Her phone remained off and undisturbed. Although only for so long before she has to face the reality.

Jessica loved rain, anything from drizzle to downpour and all the spits and spots in between. She loved the sound, the smell, the look and the feel of the droplets on her skin. Being out in it, hiding from it; the fact that it both cleansed the world and made it cosy. Above all, she loved that rain was unaccountable. It simply turned up or it didn't and there's nothing one could do about it. In an increasingly commodified world, rain kept them free and it kept them humble. Not many understood her preference, most of the time they looked at her as if she had just expressed a perverse preference for being in pain.

Although now, it did reminded her of a certain vampire too. Jessica thinks Alec suits rain. He reminded her of the rain. Perhaps it was the perplexity of his being or a note of melancholy she could feel from him. She could see and touch it but not catch it. Like a sand that slips through her fingers. Their meeting wasn't always consistent. There were times when Alec seems to disappear from Earth completely for as long as a week or two and days when they would meet almost every day. He was like that rain that followed the wind.

The rain had a knack for stirring nostalgia in her. Standing under the castle tower's roof, sheltered from the falling rain, she took time to take a journey down her memory lane. From her nasty break-up from Mike, to her taking a term off school, grabbing her lifetime saving, a bag, a ticket and plane, to her discovering about the dark secret that lurked underneath the human world ––the secret that was so close to her, right under her nose, right by her school seat.

She's oddly captivated by the droplets in ways she hadn't been before in Forks. Maybe it's the novelty of seeing it in another country. An exciting change.

Then she does something other people might find it odd were they to see it. She steps out into the rain on her own record. The water seeped through her hair and clothes and clung to her skin in tiny droplets. It freshen her up.

Jessica approaches the ledge of the brick until her arms and top chest hung in balance between the landing and the fall. She didn't like heights, but the way her fears worked was quirky. It wasn't for all heights and situations. Just few. Like abseiling-bungee-jumping type of height. She loved looking down from the plane. And like here too.

She's glued onto the ground. It'd be a long fall from here. Very likely to be fatal if unlucky. Or lucky depending on why you fell.

Even though she wasn't going to let herself fall, she still can't help but feel the creeping fear on primal level rumbling in her chest. Her body was designed to survive as long as it could before the time got her. Humans lived with their foot on the death's door every day. Would these feelings disappear when she becomes a vampire? The feeling of dying every minute. The fear of wasting away to the ashes to the ground after living in vain. It's what made every day feel like a living. Why she woke up each day and do something. If that was gone, what would she live for? If one knew tomorrow was definite and always there, how monotonous would that be? Time forcibly stopped. An act against Nature.

Her body tilted slightly forward. It was minimal but the balance was delicate thing. Even the smallest imbalance can tilt awry in directions you wouldn't want. Then she was pulled back, forcibly. A momentum that made her stumble slightly until her head hit something and stabilised her footing.

* * *

Few days have passed since Bella last heard from Jessica. It was obvious the phone had been turned off after her repeated attempt to reach her ended up in automated voicemail after reading the long message. The shock was expected, after all, finding out vampires exist and the knowledge of their existence would mean either being killed or becoming one of them –– none of them would sound appealing to most. Although Bella was the exception.

The person who picked up the phone that day wasn't Jessica. Her heart dropped to her stomach when a familiar but petrifying friendly tone could be heard from the other end.

_"What have you done to her?!" Bella demanded, yelling._

_"She's still alive." He calmly said, "But it seemed she found out about..us."_

_Bella wished her gut feeling was wrong about the last phone call with Jessica. That her deliberate prodding wasn't so deliberate._

_"A-are you going to kill her..?" Her voice trembled violently at the thought of someone so close to her, to her home, ending up dying in the hand of a vampire. Almost like her mum and Charlie_ _. James._

_"In accordance to the law, I have the right." He told her and her breath hitched, "_ _._ _..But I am willing to let her live if she's to be turned, given that she does not expose our world."_

_"T-turned? Like into vampires?" She repeated, almost as if for confirmation although no answers were given. His implication was clear._

_"S-she will be turned._ _By us. Edward will turn her._ _Please, don't kill her. She won't tell. I know she won't._ _She can't become a vampire now – she needs more time. Please._ _" Bella pleaded then added heavily, "I-I'll take responsibility."_

_Bella knew he was smiling over the phone. Was it from amusement at the extent two friends went for each other? Or this was all part of his plan? She could not tell._

_The phone was disconnected, indicating Alec was the one that hung up._

"Did anyone heard from Jess lately?" Her train of thought was interrupted by Angela's attempt to break the awkward silence in the group. The group were not the same without Jessica's bubbly spur. She was the mood maker of the group and when she was with them, it was as if she never ran out of anything to say. She never failed to make others laughed.

Angela's good willed but strained gesture seemed to be lost in the group, although topic about Jessica always did managed to bring out few sentences from each person around the table.

"No..I WhatsApped her like two days ago and she hasn't even read it." Eric revealed with a frown, "How about you, Bella?"

For the first time in a long time, Mike looked up from his food and turned his attention to the table's discussion. He seemed down ever since Jessica had left for Italy, although he tries very hard, which often ends up in forced exaggeration, unaffected by the breakdown of the relationship. Mike glanced up at Bella, as if waiting for her reply. Remaining two pairs of eyes all turned their attention to her.

"..Yeah, she messaged me yesterday actually; something about not having good signal where she's staying. She's doing fine. She's..happy." The latter word ignited a much more strong physical reaction from Mike, who pushed back his chair with a loud screech and stomped away.

"..Maybe you should have left out the happy part." Eric suggested for the next time they talked about Jessica.

Bella suppressed the urge to bury her head in her arms and never look up.

* * *

Craning her neck ever so slightly, her nosed touched a chin, cooler than the rain on her skin, and turned to face the figure behind her.

"Alec!" She blinked in surprise, "Been a while."

He stood under the roof, just where she had been few minutes ago. The water was dripping off the roof and onto his expensive looking coat, staining his shoulders few shade darker.

"What were you thinking?" His voice was soft although there was sharpness to it.

"Thinking about what?"

"Your blood could have spilt." His eyes narrowed and darkened, "You could have fallen."

"Alec, calm down," Maybe she shouldn't have said calm down as his eyes seemed to flare ever so slightly, "I was just looking down, I do that sometimes. I really shouldn't because it's really dangerous but, sorry. I didn't mean to make you…worry?"

"I would have lost control." He revealed, as if to rebut her claim.

She nodded in understanding.

"What if someone comes up here?"

"I will know."

"You can smell them?"

He nodded.

"How do I smell like?"

"Food." He said with a playful smile.

Jessica rolled her eyes at his blatant but obvious reply.

"You said you can wear contacts to hide your eye colours right?" She asked. Just as the word left her mouth, the rays of sun began to shine through the inky clouds and onto the castle. It reached her first where she was out of the shadow the roof afforded.

Alec's hand, still on her arm, happened to be in the range of the sun. Her eyes widened as his skin glowed against hers'. So bright she wondered if her skin under his palm had been burnt from the glare.

"Your skin…"

His arm retreated back into the safety of the darkness and the glow ceased.

"Shit, they weren't kidding." Jessica muttered, remembering the couple's and Giada's words.

"How are you gonna leave now?" She turned back to the sky, "Now that the sun's up."

"I can find the way."

"I have an idea." Jessica said as she reached out to him and pulled his hood over him. "Wait here."

Giving him a final, firm glance, she quickly dashed down the stairs which she nearly ended up smacking into two girls on their way up the tower.

"Oh, sorry!" She apologised then instinctively turned toward the tower entrance.  _Shit, Alec's there._

"ARE YOU OKAY?!" She yelled, emphasising each syllables. Her voice was loud enough for the echo to reach the top.

The two girls, taken back, blinked in confusion and one of the girl replied, "Uh, yeah, we're okay. It's fine. No worries."

"ARE YOU GUYS VISITNG THE TOWER?!"

"Uh…yeah…."

"I HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE TIME!" Jessica gave a good final yell before heading down. Arriving on the street, a drug store was across the castle. Entering and heading toward the eye care isle, she managed to find one day contact boxes with clear and various different eye colours. Black, hazel, blue, green and grey.

She instinctively reached for the clear ones, halted and slowly hovered above the ones with colours. She needed something that hid his colours. Would black be dark enough? Would blue be too light?

Then…

What was his eye colour as human? Was it blue? Was it grey? For some reason, she thinks he suit blue eyes. The colour of clear, cloudless sky.

She grabbed the blue off the counter and paid for it. Then she ran back, up the castle stairs, ignoring the puzzled glance from the secretary until she reached the top where hopefully he was still waiting.

To her surprise, although deep inside her, she knew he'd probably disappeared, the space under the roof was vacant. Although she had expected, a pang of disappointment shot through her although she felt as if she had no right to feel that way.

The two girls on the far side of the circular tower noticed her and acknowledged her with brief, friendly wave. Jessica smiled and returned the greeting while her eyes carefully scanned the area. Few minutes later, the rain stopped and a sharp ray of light shone through the grey veils.

"The rain stopped!" One of the girls said to another and they shared a look of relief. They must have sought shelter in the castle.

"Let's go."

They passed her and their eyes met, smiling in response before heading down. Jessica hold up the contact lens from the plastic bag, wondering whether she should return them or not. She told them to throw away the receipt – maybe if she quickly went back, maybe they'll remember her.

Jessica turned toward the entrance, nearly dropping her bags while letting out a breathy scream barely louder than a whimper. Every time their eyes met, it felt like a deer staring into the predator's eyes. More specifically, he reminded her of black leopard if she had to pick out his spiritual animal. They were both solitary, mythical animal. And those eyes. She was only seven when she came across the image of a black leopard staring with its penetrating, piercing gold-yellow eyes to the person behind the camera. And the spectators too. The focused, electrifying stare signalled that death was stalking. Was it not a perfect animal to compare?

"I thought you were gone." She said with a pleased smile.

"Yes. The humans were here." He said with a slight nod toward the stairs.

She held up the lens box, "I got you blue. I have a feeling you had blue eyes. As human."

A small smile appeared, almost bitter sweet, before he confirmed her suspicion, "You're right."

"Well, does that earn me a prize? Like 50 years extension from becoming a vampire?" She joked, even though she knew all she would get was a curt shake and a 'nice try' look.

"Why would I need these?" He asked.

"Well, to go out." Jessica shrugged in a matter-of-factly tone, "I mean it's a bit boring just sitting in hiding, right? So let's go somewhere new for once. Not around lots of people but like you know with other people if you get my drift."

"I do not think that's a good idea." He said.

"Do vampires all have low self-control around humans?"

"Would you not be tempted to eat if you were surrounded by food?"

"Well," The metaphor did made her empathise his plight, "But people can choose to eat or not."

"Our thirsts don't work like that." He revealed, "It's thousand times more unbearable; more agonising. It's always there no matter how much we drink. We're never satiated."

"So…even now…"

"I'm barely holding myself back from ripping out your throat." He finished with a tone one would usually use to say 'Hey, Gary, I just dropped off my kids to school and thought I'd do some grocery shopping for dinner tonight.'

Jessica did a step back, an action even he approved.

"Well, you're good at not showing how you really feel, do you." She commented, although it could be used to generalise on other aspect of his character. "How about we go somewhere where there're not much people then? Like um..oh, there's this really nice hanging out place outside the wall."She pulled out a pair of lens from the box, handing it toward him when he revealed, "I don't know how to put them on."

"It goes on your eyes. Like you put one on your finger so the hollow-side is facing up then you just gently place it top your pupil and blink a few times." Jessica explained although she was pretty sure, even if he did not show it, absolute confusion was written on his face. Imagining him trying to put on the lens and making every beginner's error was a bit comical and laughable, but she was never going to voice that opinion out loud.

"Ok, I'll put them on for you." Jessica said. Angela rarely wore lenses except for very special occasions where she wanted to look as pretty and sexy as possible without becoming a poster child for the 'sexy teacher/business woman' look and so she was horribly bad at putting them on. She would bring them so that she could put them on at the place and Jessica was the one that would put them in for her as it seemed easier.

Jessica tore the wrapping, used her nail to pick them, placed it on her dry index finger and slowly re-approached Alec.

"I need to touch your face." She warned him. He remained stoic, making her unsure whether he gave her the permission or not.

Gently, she placed her fingers on the top and bottom of his eye. Her heart thumped violently against her chest. His red eyes remained on hers', unblinking. With slightly shaking finger, she placed the lens on his crimson pupil, watching it turn dark violet, almost light navy. A rare, if not, non-existing colour for human eye colour. Still it was passable.

She did the exactly the same for the other eye. Only her palm accidently brushed past the bottom of his lips and elicited a visible reaction at the contact. It almost resembled a movement fly trap would make when a prey moved across its trap; an instinctual, primal rouse. Eat it, it was saying.

But Alec remained still, frigid rather than lashing out.

"Sorry." She apologised with a slight blush. He definitely caught the rush of blood to her cheeks.

The new eyes of Alec were an eerily strange thing for Jessica to see. She always saw Heidi with the same vivid colour that was not red so it was more familiar to her, but her first colour of Alec was crimson. Now it was violet. It was strange.

"You look…" She was about to say human but then thought not many people would like to be compared to a food, "Like no one's gonna stop you and say 'cool lens bro, where'd ya get it?'"

He blinked rapidly, as if irritated by the foreign object in his eyes. This was expected although she didn't expect what he was about to say.

"There are scratches on it."

Jessica tilted her head with a confused frown, "Scratches? What do you mean? Wait, like on the lens? There are scratches on them? OMG you can see them?!"

He kept blinking, clear distaste for the contraception on his face.

"Holy shit, just how good are vampire eye sights?" She rhetorically asked.

"Quite good, I presume."

It took her a few moments for his reply to sunk in and hear the playfulness in his tone. He was joking with her. Maybe he was opening up, even if it was just a little.

"Let's go." She turned to the entrance, one step down the stairs when she glanced over her shoulder to see if he followed. He was gone.

"Alec?" She panicked as she twirled around the tower only to see him at the foot of the steps as if he had waiting for her from the beginning.

"W-wh-ho-damn it Alec!" She rolled her eyes with a growl, hurrying to where he was, "Can you stop with that disappearing ghost act, like thank god you at least did it in the daylight."

The only reply she got was a small, satisfied smirk.

Jessica walked in front of Alec toward the exit, noting the hesitance from the vampire.

"What's wrong?"

Wordlessly, he held up his bare hand into the light which began to glisten like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in his skin.

"Oh.." Jessica muttered, momentarily forgetting her words at the sheer beauty of it, "Right..I forgot." Sunscreen will definitely not cover that.

Just as all hope of venturing outside seemed lost, the sun was usurped by large, endless cloud still heavy with unshed rain. His hand became the chalky, almost bloodless colour once again.

"What you know." Jessica grinned and stepped outside. "Your turn."

A small pause. Weary and careful, as he always are. Then his leather shoe crossed the line separating the safety of the shadow from the exposure. And now everyone could see them. See him. The people in the street seemed to deliberately slow their pace just to admire his beauty.

Jessica wondered if that was how she often looked when she saw the Cullens' and Alec's face for the first time and even oftentimes despite becoming more used to their unnatural good looks. Not the kind of face she definitely wanted to see herself being tagged and shared on Facebook.

The women, in particular, seemed to notice them more than others while their boyfriends' confidence and self-esteem seemed to wither each second go by. She has never felt more ugly and embarrassed than she did now in her whole life. It made her wanted to be far away from his side as possible because she knew they were judging her. Who is he? Why is he with her? Why is she with him? What's so special about her? Are they friends? Even without mind reading, she knew those thoughts were flashing pass their minds. That's what she did when Bella and Edward announced they were dating and when she noticed his attention on Bella ever since her arrival.

It didn't feel too good to be on the short end of the stick at all.

"You know how I said it'd be a good idea if we hang out where people are…I take that back."

"It is a little too late for regret."

"All regrets are too late. That's what regrets are. Just take a peek at my tags and you'd know." Jessica sighed, how was she going to walk through these people without her mind automatically guessing what others were thinking and self-killing her own self-esteem.

"Let's go." Jessica said, chin up and never avoiding their stares. He followed closely behind her.

"So…is being beautiful a trait thing or like it's just beautiful people that happened to be turned." She quietly said, almost a whisper.

"How one was perceived as a human is enhanced after transformation." He explained in voice so low she had to lean toward him just to catch a wisp of some of the words.

"Gee so it's not just your senses that's enhanced.." She muttered, "It's so different from my version of you-know-what but I think I've seen physical transformation tropes in TV."

Talking helped. It helped herself distract her mind for a minute. Gave her something to think about. They were nearly there, just few minutes and they'd be out of the wall. Away from the crowd.

"Hey." The sweet, soft, high pitched interrupted from Alec's side. His other side. That girly, breathy voice did not belong to her without her consciously straining herself to do so. Jessica knew the girl was probably around her age and also an American from her accent. Another tourist like her.

"Hi, I'm Esther." She introduced with her practised dazzling grin that showed off her white, brace straightened teeth. A Lauren Mallory of Italy.

Alec briefly glanced at her before walking away, toward the entrance. Jessica, despite being briefly caught off guard, standing in stupor with an expression mirroring Esther's, quickly recovered and hurried to catch up with Alec, whose pace was noticeably more quicker but not too quick that it was beyond human's possible speed.

The girl, now known as Esther, seemed intent on sticking around more, gaining proximity with long, smooth strides with her long legs.

Esther grabbed hold of Alec's arm, intending to have him stop for a minute, "Wait––" Alec shook her off with a sharp swipe of his arm. Displeasure and anger was evident, the icy glare he gave was enough to send shivers down not just Esther's but Jessica's spine as well.

"Do not touch me." He slowly said, pressing each word with great emphasis. Get lost, his eyes were saying. If looks could kill, she'd have disintegrated into ash. Or froze into a human ice statue.

Esther's eyes widened, finding herself taking a step back before recovering with an attempted smile, "Sorry, but I just wanted to know your name." His glare would have been enough to discourage her futile effort to flirt but she was tenacious.

"Leave me. Now." That tone meant it was final and last warning. Jessica's heart thumped so fast she thought she was having a heart attack. This girl is going to get herself killed.

"Hey, Esther," Jessica spoke, turning her attention toward her, "Alec's having a really bad day today. Um…his pet hamster died so…"

The girl feigned a saddened gasp, her hand on her chest, "Oh my God, I didn't know…aww, that's so sad."

"Yeah.." Jessica nodded in agreement, "Like he had that hamster for two years and..he tapped out."

"I so know that feeling, like when my cat died; it was so horrible." Esther shook her head, "He doesn't look like a hamster guy to me though."

"Yeah, lots of people say that."

"No wonder…" She glanced at Alec who seemed to have enough of their nonsense and decided to turn away to walk toward the wall's gate.

Taking out her phone, Esther showed Jessica her screen. It was a number. A Seattle one to be exact from the area code.

"Here, take my number down and give it to him when he's feeling better." She said then added with narrowed eyes, "You're not his girlfriend or anything, are you…?"

"Oh, gosh no!" She shook her head vigorously, now that would be just plain weird, "No I'm his friend. Just friend."

"Oh that's good! Thought you were his girlfriend!" She giggled.

 _And you were flirting with him even when you thought I was his girlfriend?_ Jessica resisted the urge to raise her brow at her questionable moral. Instead, she took out her phone and took a picture of the screen.

"Sure! I'll pass it on to him!"

"Thanks…?"

"Jessica."

"Thanks Jessica." With friendly grin, she headed back to where her group of friends were waiting, quietly watching from afar with excitement.

Jessica let out a relieved sigh as she hurried to the gate where Alec had been waiting with slight irritated expression. Good, no one was dead or dismembered or injured.

"I'm proud of you, Alec." Jessica said, "I would have Game of Thrones her ass!"

"I don't understand."

"Oh, it's another way of saying I'd have killed her."

"Unfortunately, killing within the walls is prohibited."

"I know!" Jessica laughed and wiped her imaginary sweat off her forehead with an exaggerated sigh of relief, "Thank God for that!"

"You're amused at the expense of my anger."

"Well, it was pretty annoying and funny at the same time – you have to admit." Jessica shrugged with a smile, "Let's go before that girl decides to chase you around."

Jessica only recently discovered the plain only few days earlier, whilst snooping around the outside area of the Volterra. Balze cliff it was called. One had to walk half an hour to reach the actual cliff but the far start of the cliff was just as beautiful and offered plain, unobstructed view of the preserved, untouched nature surrounding the beautiful town.

"This place is so beautiful." She said, "You're so lucky you live in such beautiful place."

Alec wordlessly watched as the foggy cloud cleared away and the sky became painted with hues of orange and red from scattering. It was dusk. Through his eyes, everything in the world was incredibly beautiful, more so than a human eyes could ever comprehend. Yet the appreciation for such beauty was lost to him after centuries of living. The nature was as beautiful as ever but it was just that. It no longer touched him anymore.

He slightly turned so that he could watch her reaction toward the sunset. Eyes widened with gleam of awe and gratitude and a bright grin. Ah yes, was that how he had been watching his first sunrise and sunset as a vampire? As a human? He can't remember anymore.

Then their eyes met when she briefly looked away from the sun to him. Her expression was unchanging as she had watching the dusk take place. Why.

"You're glowing…"

"I see.." Said Alec, realising the cause of her wonderment.

"Do you mind…" She trailed off as her index finger approached his face. He felt her gently poking his right cheek, a gesture that confused him.

"I knew it." She said, "You're skin is as hard as it looks. Like a diamond."

Then she sprawled her fingers wide so that her whole hand was caressing his cheek. It was surreal how someone's skin could feel just as it looked. There was neither softness nor malleability to the texture, no visible pores or blemishes. Just smooth, marble-like flesh that didn't really felt like flesh.

"You're…pretty."

"Pretty?" Alec scoffed, allowing Jessica's curious hand to travel across his face. Her skin looked as if it were glowing too.

"What's wrong with being pretty?" She asked as she took her hand away to her side, "The scenery is pretty too. So is the Volterra."

"You remind me of my sister." He muttered.

Jessica turned to face him again with wide eyes, "Wait, you have a sister?! What's her name? How old is she?" As soon as her word left, the image of a lovely girl with a fuller lips resembling Alec flashed passed her mind; that must be her.

Alec seemed contemplating whether to tell her or not, scanning her face as if searching for something.

Then after a long silence between them, he said warmly, "Jane. Her name is Jane. She's my twin sister."

"Jane…" She tested out, "That's a pretty name. I bet she's as pretty as you are."

"She's…the most beautiful girl in the world." He said sincerely with a tender smile. She was dazzled by the gentleness he never shown until now. Although she had her doubt, she always thought that maybe he was an emotionally stunted vampire boy who won't ever know what it means to smile or love in a way he did. Yet just by mentioning his sister, whom he loved and treasured very dearly, shattered her preconceived bias about him. He was endless ball of surprise she untangled each day.

"Alec," She said, "I think you're more harsher on yourself than I am. I know now, for a fact, that you're definitely not a monster. I don't know who said that to you but they're wrong. You're just…" Jessica shrugged, "Alec."

He glanced at her which she responded with a small uplifting smile before turning back to the sunset.

"I'm glad I met you, Alec."

He didn't respond although she could feel he appreciated it.


	6. Sick and Comfort

 

* * *

Coughs, sore throats and headaches, were the first warnings that your defences are being weakened. When Jessica woke up the next morning, she felt the dry aches in her throat like a skin raw after rubbing it against 50 grade sandpaper. She let out her first tickly cough soon after, temporarily alleviating her itchy, irritated throat. Maybe deciding to stand out in the rain wasn't a bad idea. She touched her forehead with the back of her hand and suspected she was coming down with a fever as well.

"Great…sick too..out of all times I get cold, I get it now." Jessica rolled her eyes to herself before giving herself a sarcastic pat on the shoulder, "Well done, Jessica. Just great. Why are you like this?"

She wondered if she packed any cold medicines her mum told her to before she left. Dragging her heavy, protesting body along to her suitcase inside the closet a distant down from her bed, she opened the bag and searched through her half unpacked bag.

Of course she hasn't! As expected from Jessica Stanley! Yay! She was torn between towing her half unconscious body down the stairs, to the drug store or just staying in bed all day and suffer through the pain. Neither sounded appealing. Her body never did handle well with something as simple as cold or flu. Ever since she was young, once she became sick – which was not that often – but when she did, the illness went on for a long time.

Within an hour later, her body grew hot and feverous; the little clothes she wore did nothing to help to cool the sweats forming on her skin. Her fever would still rise. She should quickly go to the drug store before it became too much for her to handle. Donning a hoodie over her shirt and shoes, she staggered to the near drug store, paid for the medicine and back into her bed.

It had taken her half an hour. The time lost in many times she had to stop and gather her balance before moving off again. It wasn't worse like this and she, in her hazy state, suspected being in another country had something to do with the fast deteriorating pace.

The bed sheet underneath her was already becoming sticky and moist with her own perspiration. Maybe if she just sleeps for a while. Just close her eyes for a moment and rest.

* * *

Alec wondered what was so interesting about a flower. His sister, after all these years, still held onto her peculiar fondness for flowers.

"What a pretty flower." Jane mused, noticing the new bubs of blue rose blossoming. Blue roses had existed, long ago, before they became extinct but Jane had a habit of collecting rare flower seeds and watching them grow which resulted in the castle's only floral garden with the most rarest and one-of-a-kind specimens that became a favourite among female residents.

"Don't you think so, Alec?"

"You're the pretty one, sister." Alec returned with a smile.

Jane turned away from the rose she had buried her nose in, looking at him with a smile, "We all know you're the pretty one out of us two. Our mother always said so."

"I'm not pretty." He pressed as for a moment, Jane's voice overlapped with the human's.

Jane raised a brow; her brother always took the phrase well.

"Alec, you won't ever lie to me, would you?" She asked after a moment of ponder.

He slid down from the handrail he had been resting upon with his back against the column of the Victorian style gazebo to approach his sister. Cupping her cheeks and a kiss to the forehead he looked into her eyes, "Never, sister."

Jane studied him before asking, "Where have you been going these past days?"

A normal person's reaction would have been caught by Jane's sharp, discerning stares but Alec hid his true thoughts and emotions well. Always have. Ever since they were child, the only one Jane always found it tricky to read was her own brother.

"Do I worry you?" He asked.

"Answer the question, Alec." Jane never did like to prevaricate around a topic.

"Out." He told her.

"Where?"

"Exploring the Volterra."

Jane stared at him from under her long lashes. She would always give that half-lidded look if they were wasting her time or irritating her. Rarely were they used toward himself.

"Alec." She warned, brows furrowing with irritation.

"Don't frown, Jane. It's unbecoming of you. Smile for you look most beautiful." He teased, "Do not worry about me. That's my job."

"Alec, you're my twin therefore one half of me." Touching her brother's cheek, she muttered, "We've been together since in our mother's womb. How could I be so selfish as to burden my brother with all?"

But Alec refused her offering, gently bringing her hand down from his face, "Jane, you don't have to worry. I promise nothing will come to harm."

"You're leaving." She stated knowingly.

"I am not."

Jane didn't believe him – a thought that he could see in her eyes.

"No, not now." She said, "But later you will."

He did not deny nor confirm her retort.

* * *

Jessica let out another barking cough for the hundredth times that day. Two days had past and while it seemed to be getting better, the aches and soreness of her throat, head and body was a huge pain in her ass. Everything she touched and touched her hurt as if her skin became overly sensitised to pain.

That morning, she had turned on her phone and instantly she was bombarded with missed calls, messages and emails. Most of them were from her parents or friends and she took time to answer them each. Lastly, she turned her attention to Bella. As expected, ten missed calls, one was just a few hours ago and twenty messages, some short and some long.

She read them all as attentively as she could before typing out her reply. Few messages stood out.

 ** _Bella_** :  _Alec was the one who gave me the choice to either have you killed or turned. I know it was wrong of me to decide but I just couldn't let you die. I'm sorry._

 ** _Bella_** :  _You know how I've been telling you Mike's fine? Yeah, he's not actually fine. He's been moody and angry ever since you left._

**_Jess:_ ** _Hey Bella, I'm still alive. But not for long. I'm sick. Like real, bad sick. Got cold. Or flu. I don't know – what's the difference? Don't blame yourself. I'd have done the same. I've been meeting with Alec ever since and I think we're OK. My throat hurt so I can't use my voice for a while until it passes but yeah, I'm alive. Half alive. Might not reply immediately._

**_Jess:_ ** _Fuck Mike._

The message was sent and read almost straight away. The speech bubble appeared in Bella's section and series of full stops suggesting she was replying back.

**_Bella:_ ** _Do you think it's wise to get close to him? I'm not sure if he explained to you about the difference between Edward and his family and Alec's coven but he's dangerous. I'm worried he might not be able to control himself around you since you're a human._

**_Bella:_ ** _Don't be so mean to Mike._

**_Jess:_ ** _Well he's doing well with his controlling his thirst since I'm still alive and breathing. I'm pretty sure this cold is going to kill me before he does. He seems alright; not a bad kid._

**_Jess:_ ** _Fuck Mike._

**_Bella:_ ** _'Not a bad kid?' I'm not sure if I should tell you about his coven but I think I shouldn't. Edward told me not to say anything more than you already know but he's not a kid and he's dangerous. Like lethal dangerous._

**_Bella:_ ** _You can be such a savage sometimes._

**_Jess:_ ** _Well he's a vampire, of course he's lethal! I know he has a gift of taking away your senses – I experienced that and it's not a good feeling to have your senses taken away. I don't know how people who are deaf or blind or mute can do it; huge respect for them._

**_Jess:_ ** _Thank you. Fuck Mike xx_

**_Bella:_ ** _How do you know about his power? What do you mean you experienced it? JESSICA WHAT THE HELL?!_

**_Bella:_ ** _I'm not even gonna comment._

**_Jess:_ ** _Well he offered and I was like sure why not? Hardest challenge of a lifetime._

**_Bella:_ ** _…Jess..why? WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU DON'T DO THAT! OMG_

Her phone screen changed from text chat background to an incoming phone call from Bella. Jessica picked up and she swore she lost her hearing for a second or two.

"JESSICA, WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Are you trying to deafen me?" Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper, "I'm still alive aren't I?"

She heard Bella take a deep breath before saying in a composed tone, "W-what are you talking about? What do you mean he offered?"

"After I turned off my phone, I went to find him and I told him to kill me because I don't want to turn into a vampire. And he said that I had to pay the price of my action and few days later we got talking and I said I wanted to die in my sleep. He said he could give me that option and I was like 'sure why not?' and yeah. Not a nicest feeling in the world but I'd rather go through that again than see Mike's face."

She heard a heavy, frustrated sigh from the other line. Jessica could almost imagine Bella rubbing the bridge of her nose.

_"Y-you don't DO THAT! What if he killed you?! Or what if he turned you then?!"_

"Well he didn't!" Jessica countered, voice straining at the slight increase in loudness, "He doesn't look like someone who'd stab you in the back."

_"I don't even know what to say Jess."_

"Don't." Jessica said, "Beside, I'm gonna really lose my voice soon so I'll speak to you when I get better, okay?"

_"Are you sure you're gonna be okay? If you want, me and Edward could come and get you right now. We can tell him that we'll turn you after we take you back to Forks."_

"Bella, don't worry about me – well not too much, just enough. I made all this happen, I'll take care of it."

_"..But–"_

"Bella." Jessica stopped her before finally saying, "Thanks for everything. Really."

The end of the phone was silence. But Jessica knew Bella had a smile in her face.

"I'll talk to you later. Bye."

_"..Get well soon."_

"I will."

She hung up and leaned her head back against the bed headboard with a small, grateful smile. For better or worse, this whole situation seemed to have brought them a bit more closer.

* * *

"What did she say?" Edward asked with a tender touch on Bella's shoulder.

"She's alive." Bella said, worried, "I mean, she said she's doing fine but I-I don't know."

"She will be fine." He said with undoubted confidence. Something Bella found strange. Not too long ago he was just as equally worried about Jessica's safety but yet he seemed to know something she doesn't.

"How do you know that for sure?"

Edward sheepishly smiled, glancing sideways amused, "You'll find out soon."

Bella rolled her eyes and inwardly decided going to Alice would be a faster route. In the meantime, Bella deeply prayed for Jessica's safety.

* * *

Jane knew something was occupying her brother's mind. Distracted. Her brother had always been reckless and curious. Even as a human. The troublemaker of the two and, often, the root of their mother's ire with his little mischievous ways. He always carried the air of confidence and apathy; he could care less about anything – even what others thought of him. Mocking and always ready to take aim. Independent. She envied that. Sometimes, a little resentful. Always wondered why she had to be opposite when they were essentially one being. Even their powers were on the extreme end of the spectrum. Why was it that her brother fared better with the circumstances? Why was he happier? Why was his gift more benign than hers'? Moreover, he didn't mind his eternal adolescence, stuck in the body of a fifteen year old. Forever. Although she wondered to what extent that was true and a façade.

Despite their closeness, she sometimes found it difficult to understand him. That older-brother-maturity persona which meant he always had to be the bravest, strongest, secretive, protective one. Even though she was older by few minutes.

"Demetri." She called and few minutes later, the tracker appeared. His amicable expression never betraying the apprehensiveness simmering beneath.

"Yes, Jane?"

"I need you to do something for me." She said while remaining with her back toward him.

"What is it?" He asked courteously.

"I need you to track Alec."

"Alec?" Other than a slight downward twitch of his brows, his countenance remained composed.

"He's been distracted." Jane said, pausing, "I need to know why."

"Of course, Jane." He nodded before backing away.

* * *

Sitting on a small round table chair in a balcony outside her room, Jessica eyed the mountain the back of the hotel was facing. The slight cool wind was doing well cooling her body down but not enough. Closing her eyes to feel the forest air breezing through, she slid down from her chair so that her back was comfortably resting on the seat in C position.

"This is horrible." She groaned, staring at the mocking blue sky that seemed to laugh at her fate.

"What's so horrible?"

Jessica jumped, startled, and she's thrown out of her chair and her backside painfully collided with the hard, wooden floor. The chair clacked loudly as it fell to the floor away from her. Her head was aching and dizzy and there was loud ringing in her ears from the fall. A black, polished shoe came into her double vision and settled there until she could regain her balance.

"Alec, you scared the shit out of me."

He didn't say anything although he continued to stare at her.

"Are you not getting up?"

Jessica brought herself on all fours before gently, using her left knee and a hand on the chair as anchor, brought her right knee to her chest and heaved herself up.

"You're ill." He stated.

"Yes, well done for the excellent observation, Alec." She sardonically replied as she righted up her fallen chair and heavily collapsed into it. "Everything hurts right now."

"Is it serious?" He questioned.

"It's just a cold." She explained, "I always come down with illness more worse than an average person I suppose."

"You'll die then."

Jessica shook her head hastily, "No, no, no, humans don't die from cold that easily now days. Unless you can't afford medical care or other reasons, but I'll live. It's just mean that I've got few more days to suffer."

"I see."

"Great timing, Alec, I was becoming so bored. I can't go out because I don't wanna infect everyone with my germs. Glad I've got a vampire pal I don't have to worry about."

"You shouldn't trust me too easily." He warned.

"Well for now, you didn't do anything to break my trust." She countered wittily, "Unless you're planning to, then it'd be nice if you can tell me 5 working days beforehand. It's Sunday today so I've got one more day."

"How fortunate."

"Right!" Then, "Alec, where are you from?"

"Here."

"No, like where are you from as in did you live here as a human too?"

"England. I was born in the Dark Ages."

Jessica let out a low, impressed, 'oooh'.

"That's so..ages ago! I can't imagine how it must feel to be born at that time and see the world change so much!"

"The world changes but the humans within remains the same." He answered.

"Okay, Mr. Realist." Jessica laughed, "I'm sure you're right but I also hope you also meant it the good way."

"Same old avarice. Same old selfishness. Same old malice. They're boring."

"Not all humans are like that." Jessica said, "We're all innocent at birth. But at one moment, some become evil. They might mistake it as happiness – the good they seek or scared or something like that. Evil turns people into monsters. But I want to believe that good will prevail."

"That's naïve notion."

"Sometimes I think so too. But you never know. If a vampire can exist, what else is out there?"

"Those thoughts will only bring you despair." He warned in a dejected tone. There was something gleaming underneath his usual stoic demeanour. Was it melancholy? Sympathy? He almost seemed disappointed like watching someone shatter his expectation with avoidable mistakes.

"Maybe." She shrugged, agreeing with him, "You can call me stupid or naïve, but some people need that second chance."

"A fool's hope." He named, "It would be interesting to see which expression you make when that time comes."

"Me too." She agreed. "If you don't mind me asking, but what makes you think my belief is stupid."

He shifted in his seat, hinting that their little debate was finished. She didn't try to push on it more and left it at that. Although she was nosy, she knew when to back off.

Using her hand, Jessica fanned her tomato red face boiling with heat and sweat. Even with this chill weather and wind, her body heat didn't seem to cool even slightly. The ice that she brought from the kitchen had already melted into lukewarm water from the heat. She wished she had a never melting ice cubes. Then her eyes landed at Alec. Then to his hand. Then to his face again.

"Yes?" He tilted his head, noticing her intense staring.

"You're a vampire." She thought out loud.

"Yes." He answered with confusion, not realising her statement was rhetorical.

"No, no, I know you're a vampire. Your skin is ice cold." She muttered slowly, "Do you mind if I ask you a teeny tiny favour."

"Depending on what it is."

"Well, I have to be comfortable." She stood up and gestured him to the inside of her room, "Do I have to give you permission to come in?"

"No." He wearily stood up, "Myths."

"Good." She said, "Well, don't just stand there, come in."

It was only when she had arrived by her bed that he stepped inside. Jessica dragged a chair from the table inside to beside her bed.

"Well, what is it?"

"Can you seat here?" She pointed toward the said chair.

He did. The image was almost comical. Dressed in expensive looking pearl grey suit on a small dingy chair in a budget hotel room plastered with tacky orange coloured wall papers that was peeling apart, half faded rusty oak wood tiles and cheap polka dot bed sheet; he was laughably out of place.

He didn't suit light, bright colours. She can imagine his room to be adorned with dark, rich colours like burgundy or dark emerald and probably draped with expensive silk and wool.

Jessica got in her bed, pulling up her blanket, "I haven't slept properly in like a week now."

"What does that have to do with me?" He replied stoically, void of mocking intention.

"Well, I thought since you're here, you can help a sick friend." She smiled then reached out for his hand. The touch startled Alec who immediately flinched back but Jessica patiently waited until he relaxed and she had the permission.

"What are you doing?"

"Just trust me."

"No."

Jessica rolled her eyes, "Stop being childish."

"I'm not."

"Then give me your damn hand." This time she was successful in grabbing his hand and bringing it toward her temple and sighed in bliss as coolness pierced through the heat and spread down her body.

"It's so nice to have something this cold that won't melt." Jessica said, looking up, "Do you mind just staying like this for a while? Just until I could fall asleep. Do you think you can use your power on me? Just take away my senses for a while – just until I fall asleep. I just need some sleep."

"This is absurd and ridiculous."

Letting out another bout of hacking cough, Jessica tiredly met his eyes, pleading.

"Please, Alec." She said, "Just for ten minutes. I just need undisturbed rest. Do you have any idea what's it's like to not sleep?! It's horrible."

He gave her a pointed look, "Vampires cannot sleep, therefore, yes I can imagine."

"Look, there's an actual difference between not being able to sleep because you physically can't and being able to sleep but can't, okay? The latter is more horrible."

He didn't move for a long time. Jessica couldn't help but think he will leave. Mock her fragile morality; angry at suggesting to use his gift for something as trivial as this. After all, they certainly weren't friends; she liked to think they were although Alec might have a clear sense of what they actually were. In the end, she was a pig. A pig with a name, yes. But it still did not make any difference.

"You're a peculiar human."

"Thanks – people tells me I can be weird sometimes."

"Are you not afraid?" He asked, "Afraid of me – afraid of what I'll do?"

"You didn't give me a reason to be afraid of you." She said then added, "Other than the time you tried to eat me but you didn't."

More silence.

Then…

Alec held up his other hand hovering away from her face. The familiar shimmering smoke oozed out from his fingertips, stalking toward her with deadly obscurity. Her desperate mind was begging for the thief that would steal her senses. Quick. Quickly. Take it away. The pain. The heat. The tiredness.

And soon, numbing nothingness enveloped her. This time it was more comforting than gripping panic she felt the first time.  _Don't fight it_ , she said to herself,  _go with it_.

Soon to the sound of her own thoughts, Jessica Stanley fell into deep slumber.

A vampire. A human. In a sparse, confined room. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Yet one of his hand still remained on her forehead while his other free half was propped on his thigh in an uncharacteristic show of mercy and tenderness. He stared at the fluttering curtains at the balcony door that was ajar.

* * *

Jessica's eyes fluttered open with refreshed, charged up energy only a deep, recovery sleep could afford. Immediately, she could sense her body was lighter, cooler and limber than the night before. This time she didn't wake up to the soaked sheet and sticky skin. The soreness that irritated her throat seemed to have gone and her blocked nose could taste the dry air again. Oddly enough, her forehead seemed to be much more chilly than the rest of her body.

Then she saw a dark figure sat on the chair beside her bed that made her eyes go wide in surprise.

"Alec?!" She gasped in unexpected shock. She had expected him gone.

"You're not as feverous as yesterday." He said as he turned to her and removed his hand.

"You've been here all night?"

"Yes."

"Why? You could have gone?"

"You wouldn't let me."

Jessica blinked rapidly. Then frowned, confused as she desperately searched through her absent memory to answer his statement.

"W-wait, what do you mean?"

"Whenever I try to take my hand away, you would not let me and grip my hand back." He revealed in a story-telling tone. She searched through his eyes to see whether he was irritated by her mortifying sleeping habit. He didn't seem too bothered by it so as much as eager to tell her this which he undoubtedly knew would embarrass her.

"And it has only been seven hours I believe." He nodded toward balcony where she could see the sky was completely dark and a full moon was at its peak.

"You could have just slapped my hand away or something."

"I didn't want to break a bone or kill you by accident."

Jessica's lip made a perfect 'O' shape, having a cold was already torturous; she didn't want to imagine how it'd feel to have a cold and a broken hand, "W-well…uh, thank you for not breaking my hand or killing me in my sleep. I feel so much better now. Thank you, really."

He stood up to leave, walking toward the open balcony and disappeared in flash that her human eyes couldn't catch.

* * *

Beneath the hotel, behind the tree across the balcony, Demetri watched as Alec landed on the floor with feather-like ease and headed back to the castle. An amused smile curved his sculpted mouth, enhancing his alluring magic.


	7. After the Rain

 

* * *

Aro was aware for some time now of Alec's excursion to the outside, although he vaguely knew  ** _what_**  it is that called to him. It would have meant that he had found some sort of amusement there, something – an exception – better than those that grounded him in the castle.

No words were needed between the two closely bonded brothers; Marcus was already offering his hand. A mere touch, a whisper of skin and their entire lives – their stories, the heartbreaks, the pain, the suffering, the joy, the anger, their illicit and immoral thoughts and actions jolted through his eyes.

There.

Aro stopped; there was something that had not been there before. Every relationship were presented to him as ribbons unseen by others, tangled and labyrinthine, unfurling and diffusing out like an endless intricate thread of spider webs. It was continuously weaving, stretching and disintegrating; strengthened or weakened, and forever changing in intensity. The colour of those threads was far important. Black suggested animosity, while yellow signified friendship, green symbolised familial relations, and red indicated a romantic interest. The darker the colour, the more profound the relation between the individual and its sharer.

A pale red thread, almost pinkish hue, stood out from amongst few little threads Alec possessed. Immediately, his eyes slightly narrowed. He preferred that they kept any indiscretions light and trivial for he was acquainted with the expensive price one must pay for such attachments. And such payments were not to be regarded lightly. For some, it was their will to live. For others, their minds.

As a leader, he was not so totalitarian that he forbade his guards from indulging in a bit of gratification. However, it was only that. Just a distraction from the frozen time.

The pink thread strained under Chelsea's ruinous power. Her effort was powerful, tenacious. It pulled, twisted, jerked and wrestled against its hold with formidable force. To try cut, thin, sever, all in attempt to weaken and disintegrate the existing bond. Some bonds were more persistent than others. Some were more fragile. Others were unpredictable. No bonds were same.

Its pink thread, wrapped around Alec was deceivably simple, dainty looking but simple had always been the most complex and difficult. It hummed and vibrated with quiet intensity against Chelsea's fingers, however it was more strained, lighter and weaker than it was before.

For now, Aro was willing to accept this outcome.

"Brother," He turned toward Caius, "Why don't you let Alec accompany you at your next outing?"

Caius regarded his brother for a moment then nodded in understanding, "I'd be pleased."

* * *

Jessica noticed something odd in the past week or so. Alec seemed to have gone away to god knows where, seeing he didn't seem to answer to her calling his name few times.

She closed the text box on her phone screen having confirmed her living to Bella like she does every day, then usual news for the day which wasn't always the most exciting or scandalous. Forks have always been a boring little town anyway. Dull and colourless, she couldn't wait until she was independent enough to escape that place; the world seemed so much larger and unexplored and so little time for her to be wasting away dreaming about an adventure.

Alone, her mind crept to the old lady who seemed aware of the lurking supernatural beings in her town. Jessica only realised how rude it must have looked to just burst out of the place like a woman who had seen ghost. She should pay her another visit soon. Tie the loose ends.

Jessica hadn't told Bella about this but for the past few days, she felt being watched. It was a fleeting hunch; slight stand of hair on the back of her neck, subtle shiver humming down her spine and moment of instinctual awareness. Something most right off the top of their heads.

And she would have been one of them were she in Forks. Minds tend to become more sensitive to any notes of changes in a foreign, unknown place while it adopt. Thankfully, for her it took a while to become desensitised and discovery of vampires only prolonged the process.

 _Was it Alec?_ She wondered at first, but could not understand why he'd be lurking in the shadow without making himself known.

_Some weird stalker? A serial killer? A kidnapper? Or just my imagination?_

Gulping, she closed her eyes for a minute and opened them, "Come out. Now, whoever you are."

Thirty second passed.

A minute.

Then rustle. There! From behind the tree to her left.

When she turned, vivid red stood out from green foliage. The same colour as Alec's. But those eyes weren't his. It was drawn on a face she never seen before; a dangerously defined, sharp face different from Alec's. Whereas Alec's beauty was that of youthfulness and innocence, this man's were that of elegant maturity and virility.

And like every impious, damned creatures, they were ever so destructively heavenly.

Then she noticed the same V-shaped pendent proudly displayed upon his sternum and realised that he must be a fellow vampire in Alec's coven.

Jessica blinked.

"…Hi. I'm Jessica." She greeted calmly, "What's yours'?"

This time, she wasn't going to faint.

The taller vampire regarded her cryptically, his flat expression betraying no thoughts or clues. Did he saw a pig or something else, she wondered.

The man in front of her was youthful, with an old man's eyes. His dark hair and eyes stood out against the abnormally white complexion of one who shirked the sun and tinge of mischievousness lingered upon it. One who perceived simple as well as the greatest pleasures of life.

Then a small, pleasantry simper lined his face, intensifying his striking features as he strode forward to close the distance, gently took her hand up to his lip and lightly pressed his lip upon her knuckles before she could blink.

She drew her taken hand hastily, flustered by his gallant manner.

"Demetri." He greeted.

"..Okay, Demetri, that was weird." She let out awkwardly while maintaining a comfortable distance.

"You're the human Alec has been visiting." He stated amusingly.

She studied him, his threat potential and his reason for making himself known, "..Are you here to kill me?"

He shook his head with a low chuckle, almost a choir to her ears, "No, be assured, I am here to do no harm. I was just..curious."

"Curious?" Raising a brow, she indicated him to articulate.

He stalked around her in circle, as if doing some sort 360 degree scan for something out of the ordinary. Something that gave Alec the reason to wander from the castle.

And she wondered if he found what he was looking for as he came to face her once again.

"There's nothing particular about you."

She rolled her eyes; it was something she could imagine Alec saying to her in his usual flat, condescending tone, "Thanks, and I guess being rudely stuck up is a trademark found in all vampires."

His smile expanded at her remark, "Ah." Found it. He seemed to say in realisation.

"Anyway, do you know where Alec's gone at the moment?" She asked, "He's harder to keep up than the Kardashians since he doesn't have a phone."

And he did that same head tilt Alec did whenever she used too much of a modern jargons he wasn't familiar with although he gave the right answer.

"He's in Mexico at the moment," He revealed, "Puebla to be exact, heading down to Oaxaca."

Although inwardly surprised by his knowledge, she didn't challenge his confident answer. She was more concerned as to why he was here.

"Good to know." She curtly said, having a feeling that she should go and backed away.

His foot stepped forward, supplanting the space where she once stood. Jessica frowned, weary, and stepped back. He walked onward.

"What?" She confronted, vampire or not.

"You're not afraid." He stated, as if he could sense it.

"If you're not gonna kill me then yeah, I don't see any reason to be afraid."

"And if I were to?"

Jessica repressed the urge to sigh.  _Here we go again, the typical, I-have-your-life-in-my-hands-mwahaha-motto exclusive to vampires_ , "So could another human being, so could a cat, so could a dedicated quokka, you aren't special."

And he dazzled. Dazzled. Actual dazzle from mere grinning. The world was so unfair. Who shines like that when grinning?! When she grinned, it seemed to warrant enough evidence for others to call the police.

 _Being around vampires is more lethal to my self-esteem than to my actual life._ Jessica joked to herself.

"I can see why Alec kept you around."

"Thank you," Jessica sardonically retorted, "Having a good sense of humour helps(!)"

"What do you say," He proposed with a coy smirk, "Will you keep me company as well?"

"I think one vampire is a handful enough." She replied flatly.

"I assure you I'm so much fun than Alec."

"Well, I'm the fun one here and one's enough." She ended, slipped her bag up her shoulder to leave, edging past him until his voice stopped her in track.

"He won't turn you into a vampire."

Frowning, she slowly twirled around, waiting for him to augment.

"What?"

"Don't get your hope up; we rarely gift immortality to humans."

"Immortality? Just feed the dogs with that." Jessica shrugged with indifference.

* * *

All vampires must be so bored with all the time (technically lack of) in their hands without something fun. That was the conclusion she could base from Alec.

Now Demetri, Alec's fellow vampire colleague.

Waking up with puffy eyes and looking like you did all drugs in the world as you sipped the cheap, bitter coffee was not the most ideal day to meet a beautiful vampire. Or human for that matter. Sliding on her sunglasses and lowering her face to stare at the half-drank steaming dark liquid, she asked, "What do you want?"

"A company."

"You know, with all that immortality-is-serious-valuable-and-greatest-present-anyone-could-give-vibe, I have a feeling it's more of you sign up to this free trial and forget to cancel it and money's taken from your account." She expressed wittedly, "That Amazon Prime free trial account I got like a year is still haunting me. So, no, no thank you to the free trial and no you ain't having my credit card details."

"I do not quite understand…"

"Maybe you vampires should get out more."

"I do not think that is a good idea – for both our sakes." He jested, returning the gesture.

"I guess." She shrugged, gulping down the remaining coffee as caffeine-propelled energy surged through her exhaustion. This would probably last her until the end of the today.

"You're not afraid of us."

"You guys live by drinking blood like how I live by eating food. Welcome to Nature." She equated simply, "Although I do feel sorry for you in the winter with all that icy temperature your body's seemed to be set on."

His eyes lowered in thought, a small smile formed on Demetri's full lip.

* * *

A hand shakily grabbed on to Alec's shoe, trembling voice, fear etched onto her beautiful face like the Munch's painting.

"Please..." She begged, "Please…spare us…"

"Alec." Caius called; expression cold and stern as he insouciantly shook the dead female to the ground by her hair.

Alec turned back to the nameless female, crushing her skull with a sick crunch. The others began to prepare the fire as he joined Caius by his side. The stench of burning flesh irritated his nose, the mingling of venom fuelling the flames into violent spur.

Their mission was yet to finish.

Bored. Alec felt. Something wet landed on his cheek, sliding down and for a moment, he thought it had been a tear. A thunder rumbled from short distance. Then he looked up as the droplets began to fall from the sky.

* * *

It was as dry as desert all day long, until the sunset came and the twilight thickened, and humidity began to stir and whisper in the air as droplets pitter-pattered on the roof top, the earthy ground and those beneath its vast reaching sky.

"Oh, it's raining!" Jessica looked up, a large toothy grin stretched across her face.

"You like the rain?" Demetri asked curiously.

"Yeah, I love them." She answered without looking away, "There's something..cleansing about them."

"It used to be more pure." He commented while eyeing the rain and catching the acidity and impurity the petrichor emanating, too subtle to the humans' senses as it dispersed into the puddle formed beneath his feet. The smell used to be crisp and fresh, now it only irritated his nose with its pungent, irritating odour. Certainly the humans did a wonderful job ruining the Mother Earth.

"We humans can be a bit of an asshole, aren't we?" Jessica admitted with a grimace.

"Yes." He smirked, "Not many humans would admit it."

"Then you certainly haven't seen Facebook comment section whenever there's a weird 'I-lost-faith-in-humanity' kind of thread. I'm common."

"Fortunate for you, I only have you." He replied smoothly.

"Thankfully I have two vampires I know that prove vampires are egoistical, bored people."

"I won't deny that." He chuckled as he leaned against the tower rail in a casual, almost lazy move that reminded her of a large jungle cat stretching.

It was those little, inconspicuous movements that captured her attention. How can one so fluently and effortlessly move like that? How can one look so elegant even with such a gauche move? It reminded her of the movement of water. Sometimes – well all the time – she envied that seamless segue of their movements.

"Is something wrong?" He asked with half-lidded eyes.

"I wished I was that graceful, my life would be so much easier." She revealed, unfazed by his deliberate enticement, "I can be a bit uncoordinated, ungainly, heavy-handed and accident-prone but not like Bella, who could, at one moment be standing from her chair and next she trips over her own legs, cracks someone's skull, crash into a wall and slaps a child before falling over. She's like Ballerina on crack."

"I see. I'd love to see that." Demetri smiled, finding her way of description entertaining.

"Do you know when Alec gets back?"

"He's in León at the moment."

"How do you know that?"

"I can track people."

Jessica's eyes widened, mouth dropped. "What? Like without GPS? Without tracking device? Is that even possible?"

"Every people's minds have unique elements…tenor shall we say and I'm able to track them through the traces left by it."

"So like a scent dog? Animals use smells. You use minds?"

"Exactly."

"That sounds amazing." Jessica blinked, "I have so many people that owe me money from night out and the morning after they're MIA. Would love to see the look on their faces when I'm like 'ta-dah, surprise motherfuckers! Thought you could hide forever.'"

Demetri simply smiled.

* * *

They say, 'Though taken by a tiger, if one gathers his wits, he may live.'

But would a wit enough of strength to survive amongst large coven of vampires whose number one priority was secrecy of their existence?

Jessica knew something was wrong when her phone vibrated in her pocket almost frantically as if to impress upon the urgency the caller was feeling. She knew who it might be even before checking the caller ID, and then a message popped up on the screen just as the vampire tracker approached her with stealth of a leopard and intend in his eyes.

_run_

Instinctively, she staggered back, dropping her phone which was soon crushed beneath the tracker's shoes, silencing the frenetic ringtone, as he closed the distance between them in inhumane speed.

Just as she twirled around to make a bolt to the other way, his large gloved hand came to wrap around her neck, just below her jaw. One slight twitch and it was over, but it wasn't his intention to kill her – just a gentle, captive hold to prevent her from running. Or screaming. A slight pressure on her vocal cord, just in case she overestimated her non-existent chances.

"So, changed your mind?" She managed to say in light-hearted tone.

He smiled, finding her droll peculiar, "No. My master wishes to see you."

Jessica frowned, not liking the emotion the word 'master' provoked. "Y-your master?"

"He's excited to meet the very one that had been distracting Alec."

"..And if I don't?"

"The decision is not yours' to make." He revealed to her, "However, you may choose to go peacefully or by force. The choice is yours'."

"Both don't seem appealing." She said, "Fine. I'll go peacefully."

His hold on her left her, stepping to the side and gestured his arm to the direction like a gentleman.

Her eyes stayed on him as she moved toward. She could feel his presence trailing closely behind her although she couldn't hear his footsteps.

"Any advice when I meet your master?"

"Only one thing. Give him your hand."

Jessica's face scrunched up in bewilderment, "H-hand? Are you serious? You're not saying that so that he kills me because it turned out to be some insult or something, are you?"

"No, I assure you." He grinned, showing her perfect rows of white pearls. Damn, those teeth look like they belong in Google images as perfect example of what perfect teeth look like.

"This way." He guided her, ushering by the gentle, appropriate touch on her mid back.

She knew where he was leading her, coming to realise half way through their walk. That garden. That door.

Demetri opened the heavy wooden door, creaking open and inside she could see the flickering of dim flames although not enough to make out any specific objects.

"Lady first." He said, waiting for her to step in.

"How about gentleman first." She returned.

"Very well." He simply said as he entered although his body was positioned in a way to make sure she was not left out of his sight, like a predator focusing all its attention on its prey.

Her hands trembled, masking it by curling her fist; she cautiously and hesitantly crossed the spectral lines to join the vampire. Almost immediately, she felt the temperature drop and were it not for the fact that vampires resided here, she would have guessed no one had inhibited this place for centuries.

She stumbled through the cold darkness, often bumping into Demetri, who was considerate enough to offer his arm for her to hold onto. Tentatively, she gripped onto the edge of his sleeve and let go when it was bright enough for her to see. The larger area they arrived looked to be some sort of reception underground; a rectangular table, a lamp, a phone, a fax/printer machine and a pretty, tanned lady dressed in form hugging respectable length black dress and red court heel. Standing up with a very typical secretary smile although she shot a more impish expression toward Demetri with the neutral, formal greeting, "Buon Pomeriggio"

Her jaw dropped and eyes bulged at the sight of another human, hundreds of baffled thoughts running through her head, 'Who is she?', 'What is she doing here?', 'Does she know about vampires too? What Demetri is?', 'Why is she so calm?'

Shocked and befogged, Jessica couldn't find her voice to form any sort of words. 'Help me' or 'Hello' would have been a wise choice. However, she was steered forward by a slight push on her back as he guided her through the long hallway pass the front.

Jessica kept glancing back to the woman who equally seemed curious and slightly agitated by the disturbance of the normality. Soon, the spherical design of the castle made it impossible to see the woman further and saw Demetri still in front of a tall, elegant, heavy oak Palazzo style door. The wood was polished to give its glittering finish with edges lined with white gold and intricately detailed nature carvings. Has she not have been just kidnapped by a vampire, she would have wanted to check out what was featured on it.

"Ready?" He asked her.

"No." She said.

"Good." He smiled before pushing the double door open, revealing spacious rotunda throne room.

It was breathtakingly and dazzling. The architecture. The people. Or should she say vampires.

The floor was adorned with smooth, emerald marbles; the white Greek style columns lined along the edges and from the centre floor, one could see an arched dome shaped roof, remnant outside lights shining through an artwork. The artwork – the most famous artwork of all time: Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – some of the greatest surviving artworks from the Renaissance. One would say it was the closest thing to Heaven on Earth.

However, her admiration was cut off short by the fact that she probably would end up in Heaven in few minutes and faced the surrounding vampires. They were all so frighteningly beautiful, but her eyes froze upon the familiar faces across her. Three sets of throne, indicating three leaders, yet only the left was occupied by an old man worn with permanent apathy. She was sure he wasn't older than late 30s yet the torpor that framed his figure made him seem more decrepit. He was but a man stuck in past, lived in regret and breathed guilt, waiting for something or anything to finally give him what he had been yearning for, perhaps a very long time, the peace only death could bear.

The man standing on the centre as he glided down the marble stair to the centre pit, exuded the air of aplomb and eminence that with one short moment of introspection that he was, however official or unspoken it may be, the true leader and the decision maker. The throne on the right, however, was unseated, and she wondered of the third man's disappearance.

"This is the human that Alec had been taken with." His voice was soothing and soft-spoken, almost cooing. She could feel him studying her, even though his eyes remained on hers', "I am Aro."

Jessica cleared her throat and returned in clear, deferential tone, "Jessica Stanley." She almost held out her hand for a shake.

His lips stretched into a small smile, appreciative of her courtesy before he stretched out his hand, "Would you do me the honour?"

She glanced toward Demetri who had excused himself to stand next to a hulking looking man, and he motioned his head as if to remind her of their recent discussion. Raising her hand, she cautiously ceded her fingertips onto his icy cold ones, vigilantly eyeing the man as his eyes faded into his mind.

"You are acquainted with the Cullens?" He asked in pleasant surprise, "And the dear Isabella Swan."

Her wide eyes collided with his,  _How?_ She thought, then glanced at their touched hand and knew it must be why he had asked for it.  _Can he read my mind through contact?_

"You're correct." He confirmed as if he had just read her inner dialogue. "It was wise of you to be..discreet with the discovery, but it wasn't Alec's decision to make."

She clenched her eyes shut and fisted her free hand, even though she knew what the man was about to say. Her lips trembled; heart slowed and felt something stuck in her chest.

"T-then…can I..my parents get closure?" She ventured, pleadingly, "I'll do anything you say."  _If you want, I'll kill myself to save you the trouble._

Aro searched through her eyes, listening to all her thoughts and pleas. Pity, his face seemed to say. Yet his eyes remained blithe.

Then a knock.

The two nameless guards opened the doors, revealing the human woman, a calm expression plastered and walked toward the pair with an iPad in hand.

"Dr Carlisle called, master." She revealed, "He wishes to speak to you regarding Miss Stanley."

Using her palms as an easel for the tablet, she turned so that both Jessica and Aro could see Dr Carlisle's face appear. It was lined with apprehension, although a spark of happiness at the meeting of an old friend.

"Ah, Carlisle." He cheerfully greeted, his handsome face lighting up with delight.

"Long time no see Aro." Carlisle greeted back warmly.

It was almost comical to see the interaction, after all, when one was an ancient old vampire in hiding, you wouldn't really expect them to be much of an expert in modern technology. But then again, to stay hidden in a fast-paced world where there were countless privacy pitfalls; a near-endless streams of personal bits is indiscriminately posted and shared, one had to fathom and utilise effectively.

"How is Esme doing?"

"She's is doing lovely." He happily said, "She sends her regards to all. I hope you have been well."

"Ah, it's been tedious, my friend, although it'd be wonderful if you make a visit once in a while."

"I apologise – my work has been keeping me at bay, however I will visit soon." He said then she could hear the difficulty in his tone at the next say, "Aro…I am aware that Miss Stanley has unfortunately become aware of our existence and that Bella had offered her to be turned as well. I ask that you extend the same patience with Bella to Jessica and give her the chance to say her final farewell." He paused, "I shall take responsibility. For both."

"Don't." Jessica spoke out and they turned to her, "You don't have to take responsibility for me. It was my fault. You don't need to do this – please."

"My, this is truly unfortunate." Aro sighed, "The law must be upheld above all. What do you think, brother?" He turned toward the man seated on the left throne.

"The law must be upheld." He echoed tiredly, and for a moment all hope seemed lost as Aro silently waited, expecting then, "However, as Carlisle is willing to take accountability…allow him."

"It's so rare to not have Caius' say in a decision," Aro remarked, "And Heidi will soon be arriving…" There was a short pause then glanced at tracker, "Demetri, please escort Miss Stanley to the spare room. She is to be treated as our esteemed guest while she is still here."

She still lived. But it was clear; she will not leave as she pleased. And she suspected there was a lesser innocent intention behind his mercy.

"Jessica," Carlisle called, giving her a consoling smile, "Be safe. We'll come and get you soon."

"..Thank you." Jessica said, unable to find a right word, "Thank you."

"Worry not, my friend," He warmly said to the blond, gold-eyed vampire, "She will live. It was lovely to meet you, Jessica…perhaps we can resume later when it's more..timely." He nodded toward Demetri, who took the cue to lead her out of the room. There was a sense of haste in his movement, a stirring of excitement seeping through unmoving, impassive vampires – even the man on the left, were visibly galvanised. The secretary, although seemingly nonchalant, her skin was notably pale and as soon as she concluded she was not needed, she was gone.

Dread filled inside her stomach, threatening to lurch upward. She swallowed it down as she followed Demetri out but not before glancing over her shoulder toward Aro, who had a cordial smile on him.

They were half way around finishing the full circle of the passage when Jessica could hear the growing murmurs and chatters of both feminine and masculine voices.

"Stay to the side." Demetri warned and not too long after, Heidi and her eye catching red dress made their appearance. Trailing behind her was groups of maybe 20 or 30 tourists, marvelling at the ancient designs of the castle.

"Hello, Jessica, it's nice to see you.." Alive, Heidi seemed to add in silent, "Demetri, will you be long?"

"Not too long." He returned, "Save some for me."

Jessica froze in her track, tasting the acidic bile at the edge of her tongue and her stomach flipped. A minute of silence, then panic screech and screams and yells, echoing throughout the hollow tunnel. Those sounds will never leave her ears. At the sound of the sadistic lullaby of shriek and cry, her visions blurred into inky blobs then complete darkness.


	8. Firework

 

* * *

The screen read '10:28' before fading out to black. Carlisle's shoulders visibly relaxed and the tightness in his expressions softened with relief. His eyes travelled behind the computer where Esme, Edward, Bella, Alice, Jasper, Emmette and Rosalie stood, and despite their reining of impetuousness, it was palpable on the tip of their fingers and tightness at the corner of their lips.

"Is…she-will she be fine?" Bella mustered the courage to break the chary silent – a comfortable denial to the thought that somehow, someone, in this room had tattletaled this unchancy secret. Which one of you is it? Who did it? Who dragged another innocent human into this treacherous world?

"She will be.." Carlisle didn't want to promise hope only to have Jessica's mangled body erode into other piles of flesh, bones and tendons in the sewage where Volturi discarded their 'foods', "..She will be okay." He added a condoling smile, but he could see it did little than confirm his inadequacy in this matter.

"We should go." Bella declared with conviction, her voice clear and unwavering.

"And why is she in Volterra, out of all places again?" Rosalie spoke up, seemingly irritated at the escalating disquietude in her usually peaceful, fulfilling life. Her glares were accusing, as though Bella and now Jessica had brought further unnecessary burdens on her and her family's shoulders.

"If you don't want to get involved, fine, stay out of it. I'll go on my own if I have to." Bella snapped toward the beautiful blonde vampire and even she seemed to be taken aback by the sudden retaliation and sharpness in her tone.

Emmett gently pulled her toward him, in unspoken gesture to watch her words. Rosalie, although silent, the undernoted purse of her lips and the narrowing of her eyes marked her deepening chagrin.

"I'll go too." Alice added, meeting Bella's eyes with a tender smile, "I needed another time off anyway."

Bella smiled gratefully.

"That's what he wants." Edward spoke up apprehensively, stepping forward to stand by Bella, "He's holding her as bait."

"Bait?" Bella waggled her brows, confounded by his statement, "What do you mean?"

Edward shared a look with Carlisle before hesitantly imparting a horrifying admission that pulled her to the ground and drained the colour from her already pale skin.

"To make us come to him." He eyed Alice then Bella, "And waiting for a reason to kill her."

Volturi sparsely killed humans that were not carefully selected and brought in for their food – even their secretaries, who tip toed on the precarious tightrope all in forlorn hope to be chosen, had to go through stringent criteria process to be picked for the job. It was more rare for them to kill humans in Volterra, whether they were a resident or a tourist, without thoroughly thought and discussed reasons.

But Aro willed himself to be above many things.

Even his own laws.

An insecure piece of knowledge only few living vampires knew. Most that had were long disposed.

* * *

Aro elegantly wiped the speck of blood dotted on the corner of his lip with the silvery silk handkerchief he kept in his breast pocket. The small, soft feathery material slipped and landed on top of a nameless young woman's stomach as the lower guards worked to gather all the bodies into the centre in one clean pile where they were disposed down the grate and acid was poured. It reacted harshly with the biological materials, bubbling and sizzling as flesh meltedand emitting acrid fumes

"Demetri," He called upon, "How far is Caius and others?"

"Not too long, master," The tracker answered, "They are currently crossing Venezuela into Guyana and should arrive within five days without unexpected delay."

Aro nodded in approval and said in laudation, "You have done well." He had wanted the human girl delivered to him swiftly and Demetri had done so delightfully.

Demetri slightly bowed his head in receiving.

"What are you planning to do with the human, Master?" He approached curiously.

Imparting a cryptic smile to his cherished tracker, Aro replied didactically, "We just simply wait."

* * *

She was startled awake. The flimsy hoodie and a jean she wore did little to protect her from the cold, hollow air of the room and it dried up her nose and throat when she breathed it in. She swore she could see her breath vapour when she exhaled. Blinking, Jessica straightened up in alarm, frowning at the unfamiliar, expensive-looking king sized bed as a question,  _'Where the am I?'_ ran through her mind, followed by flashes of Demetri, Aro, other vampires then…

The scream of those people.

Jessica buried her head in her knees and shut her ears in futile effort to drag those screams out of her head.  _Stopstopstop. I couldn't do anything. I didn't do anything. I left them to die._ Yet her more logical, calculating side sharply and cruelly encountered,  _What else could you have done, Jessica? You, a pathetic piece of skin and bones against vampires? You would have been one of them. Food. You don't actually want to die do you?_

Her mind could be so..vile. Grounding. She needed that. Something to make sense of. Something instinctual; out of her control so that the guilt won't devour her.

A heavy, solid icy object touched her shoulder, pulling her away from her noisy, chaotic thoughts. A hand. Instinctively, she slapped it away in fright. She never liked the cold. Didn't have good experiences with what the sensation brought anyway. When Jessica turned to see its owner, torn between feeling repulsed or fascinated by the impossibly bright ruby colours staring down at her with the interest of a predator gazing down at its prey, pondering whether to play with it first or go for the throat.

"I apologise for startling you." He gently said, bringing his arm down to his side as if to convey her he meant no harm. But for how long will that arms still?

"What do you want?"

"For now, alive." He tersely revealed, "You can be assured of master's promise that no harm will come to you as long as you return the courtesy."

With all his charming smiles and cogent words, the doubt in her mind has not dissipated even the slightly. After all, there didn't seem much to keeping her alive than there was to her dead.

Narrowing her eyes, she decided to probe further, "How confident is your master in keeping his words?"

"Do not question master's words." He admonished in a warning growl than words. Jessica flinched and for a moment, underneath those cordial, beguiling façade laid a ferocious, loyal beast ready to defend its master. A moment of silent stretched between them and Jessica wordlessly studied the shifting happening within him. He visibly relaxed and his usual friendly, charming countenance resurfaced. A rather fascinating observation as he veered from his true, vampiric self to almost something, somewhat human. His hand reached into the inner breast pocket, holding out a necklace toward her as some sort of peace offering.

"A token of his words." The dangling V-pendant hypnotically swayed in her eyes, "A warning to others that you are not to be harmed."

"So my life literally hangs on this pedant." Jessica commented, refraining from sounding condescending from his previous response to what he deemed scurrilous attack on his master's integrity.

"You shall find out soon that one should not underestimate the Volturi." He said quite coldly, "We do not give second chances. You and Ms. Swan were very privileged to be offered one."

She knew, despite her naïve cognisance of the politic and ways in vampires world, that his statement should not be doubted. As he has said, she was very lucky. Perhaps more than she actually deserved. Her life was no special thing to them yet it was her connection to Bella and to an extent, the Cullens' who had very little reasons to do so, went out of their ways, to beg for the sparing of some insignificant girl from a boring, dingy little town no one even heard of.

"Are you not going to take it?" Demetri asked, slightly pushing the necklace toward her.

She eyed it wearily, "What do I do with it? Wear it? Keep it on me?"

"You simply need to keep it on your person." He said, smirking, "I suggest you do so where it's visible. We don't want one of the guards to think you're a food that slipped away and try to finish the job."

She took it with slightly hurry, as if she wanted to live through this and not, as she had said in the past, die to avoid the inevitable. It was done with such spontaneous reflex that her past assertion seemed doubtful.

 _I want to live..after all._ Jessica pondered, teetering on the edge of bitterness. Even with the knowledge that death was sure, however it may be, somewhere inside her still wanted to live.

The pendant was heavy in her palm, the gold chain intertwined between her fingers. But she did not put them on her neck. Unworthy. Ignoble. Instead, she pocketed it into her jean.

"So I'll be staying here."

"Yes."

 _Keeping an eye on me._ She noted.

"Then may I get my bags from the B&B?" She said, "I'd need my clothes and stuff."

"Of course, I shall accompany you."

Demetri led her out of her small, although so much bigger than the room she was renting and suspected the room she was given was the smallest than other rooms there were. Having Demetri as a guide meant she was able to familiarise herself with the layout of, what she later found out much to her surprise, Fortezza Medicea (also known as Medici Fortress), what is used to be a prison now abandoned, on the outskirt of the town built at the highest point of the hill that overlooked the whole area. He had explained that there was a secret passage that led from the castle to the Fortezza Medicea where vampires resided and lived. The castle was where they conducted business, trials and judgements.

Jessica timed it took them less than twenty minutes to arrive at the garden entrance.

"People are gonna stare, you know." She said.

"Hence why I shall be there first." He revealed, before disappearing in almost like static light.

She was alone. Jessica thought, then blinked and started walking toward the direction of her B&B. The thought of 'what if' and the hope that she could escape using this given opportunity was something she didn't even thought to entertain. She was pretty sure that was what he was expecting. For that impulsive 'this is the chance' and unravel the hard works Dr. Cullen had invested into preserve her life. Like a pig walking into the slaughterhouse on its own accord, Jessica scoffed. One must not let such seed be planted. She mustn't give them any reasons that would as so much her life was much expendable than it already was.

The cold pendant pressed into her thigh from inside the jean's pocket, reminding Demetri's words:  _"You can be assured of master's word that no harm will come to you as long as you return the courtesy."_

It was not a courtesy to 'rudely' run away after they've been so 'inviting and accommodating' to a 'guest'. Jessica took a moment out of her deep musing to greet the familiar locals and even partake in a brief, trivial conversation about how each other's days has been and what they had been up to over the weekend. She was surprise by how calm and unperturbed she seemed to be externally, even managing to let out a grin and laugh over some quips she forgotten soon after saying. To others, nothing seemed amiss. Yet amidst all, Jessica was too aware of the sharpness of the necklace pulsating against her skin.

It took her twenty minutes to arrive at her B&B, two minutes to climb the stairs to her room and a minute to unlock and close the door behind her as she looked up at the dark cladded figure studying the room with unimpressed expression. Jessica licked up the melting gelato away from the bottom of the cone.

"Took you quite a while." He noted, his back turned and focused at the framed picture on the small nightstand next to her bed. A picture of her mum, dad, Albus Dumbledog, the Labrador and her looking like Miss Trunchbull who did every drug in the world. She never liked taking pictures but in life, as much as you can do things you like, you got to do what you don't always like. And tucked in the corner in was a much smaller size were the ones with her friends which she much liked. Her in the centre while being cheeks squashed by Angela and Bella, grinning widely at the camera.

Disconcerted by his opine, she began to pack her belongings. "I stopped by to chat and get some gelato."

He turned, dropping his gaze to the cone of gelato in her hand as she took a bite from the top. The tracker grinned, amused, "You like sweet things."

"Mmhmm, if I could only eat desserts without my health being at risk, I would. I have a bad tendency to like things that aren't good for me." She nodded, taking the draped clothes from the chairs and dropping them into the bag messily before heading toward the ones hung up in the closet.

"You didn't run away."

She paused only for a second and continued her loading.

"Humans aren't that stupid you know." She retorted as if offended by his underrating of her intelligence.

"You don't know humans too well then." He countered, resting against the window pane, glancing over his shoulder to the walking humans beneath.

"You don't know me well then." She shrugged, "You're always gonna get idiots in every species."

A small chuckle left his mouth, "You're right."

There wasn't much to pack other than her clothing, three pairs of shoes and hygiene products in the bathroom. She was retrieving her toothbrush, few towels she brought from home and bath products when Demetri noticed something next to the pictures.

"Alec gave you this?" She heard from the bathroom.

Exiting with all her stuff, she looked at the object he was examining in his hand to realise what he was asking about.

"Oh..I borrowed it." She revealed, "As soon as I'm done, I plan on giving it back."

He raised a brow with a side glance, "You can read Latin?" His tone was that of genuine curiosity, holding some sort of elation as if he was excited to find someone in the modern world to speak the dead language.

Although she didn't want to disappoint, she told him the truth, "No. I know few words and phrases but that's about it."

"Religious?"

"Agnostic." She said, and then added, "Although my parents believe in God, they don't really go to church or practise. Um, Alec let me borrow the Bible because my philosophy teacher always makes this impossible bets that if one of us brings a rare, non-existent texts to him, he promised that he would give us all A's for an exam. And we really need that A because his classes are tough, I mean tougher than waiting a year for the season finale of Game of Thrones. Like, Plato and Socrates didn't die for this bullshit. I'm blabbering now so I'm gonna stop." Finishing her fast melting gelato seemed to be a good way of stopping her talk.

"Thus he gave you this?"

"Borrowed." She corrected.

"Knowing Alec, he would have insisted you keep it."

"Yeah, but that books like cost more than my life you know. Like this is the type of book that will have my death labelled as assassination. I'm not gonna die because of a book that costs a fortune and people might try to kill me to get it." Jessica reasoned, no matter how exaggerated or crazy it sounded, "How about you, are you religious?"

"Used to be." He revealed as he handed her the Bible, "As human, I was born into religion and as a vampire, I was curious about the others and spent few centuries studying them all."

Jessica stared at him in awe, "Really? Like all of them? Every single ones in the world? That sounds really interesting; well which one did you liked the most?"

"Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, to name a few." He said, "The religions are all so similar, I came to find. Like a completed puzzle scattered into pieces all over the world."

It was a fascinating implication he had made, Jessica thought, the religions in the world shared much similarity almost like a cousin of a religion of a religion. Who knows, maybe there never was a separate religion but simply one, big, whole religion separated into pieces of puzzle.

Then she turned her attention to his previous comment, Jessica was familiar with the first one but not with the latter one, "What's Zoroastrianism? I never heard of that."

"It's known as Mazdayasna by the natives. It used to be a dominant religion of Iran and adjoining regions but when Islamic invaders occupied Iran, they introduced Islam and it faded away into obscurity. Those who had fled from Iran to escape persecution after the fall of the Sassanid Empire took shelter in India and now it's known as Parsis there." He explained earnestly then added fondly, "Despite the lack of followings and hardship, they are persisting to keep the religion alive and I was fortunate to stay with them for a decade and learn their ways."

"What's their principle?"

"The basic is Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshta, 'Good thoughts, good words, good deeds'. They believed happiness transpired for those who do righteous deeds while those choosing evil had themselves to blame for their damnation. I found it interesting how their God do not take upon himself the sins of his followers rather they must take responsible and face the retribution of their acts, amongst other things." He smiled nostalgically.

"And what made you, you know, becomes atheist?"

"What is the point of trying to find out which one is right when one will live for eternity?"

"Well,"  _If he put it that way_ , "You don't necessary have to be religious as a means to an end. Most people do for spiritual reasons, and there's a comfort in knowing that you aren't alone and someone's watching over you and understands you more than anyone and some sort of reasons why your life is as it is, no matter how bad or good it gets."

"What I have come to conclusion after all these centuries is that they are all meaningless." He said, "Do not get me wrong, I am not forcing my belief on anyone; they are merely practising a faith they decided to believe in of their own free will. Whether it may be for spiritual or consoling matter, they believe in God because they want to. It is not easy to live in such a corrupt world; there is no certainty and nothing to hope for. People are lost, so they reach out. God didn't create humans. Humans created God."

Jessica took a moment for his words to sink in, it was obvious that he took the time to come to the conclusion he had come to, and there wasn't much to say when that said person took the time to study and practise each and every one of religions there is, and she wondered whether it was same for all the vampires, did they all think believing in higher power was useless and meaningless? She also wondered how much of an influence being a vampire and living for so long had on the formation of his justification.

"Well, you think it's meaningless. I think it still means something." She shrugged, zipping the suitcase close. "If vampires exists, why not God?"

Demetri smiled in acknowledgement, "Touché."

Before she could do so, he had already swiped up the bag in his hand and opened up the door.

"I can carry that." Jessica said, flustered.

"It is alright, allow me." Demetri shook his head and with a curiously Old World elegance that suited him, gestured his arm toward the door for her to go through first.

Jessica was glad she decided to sort out her check-outs and pay in advance before going up her room to pack. She wasn't sure what the lady at the desk will be thinking (or react) as she'll probably be occupied by his blood ruby eyes. Maybe she'll think it's a cosplay. Or just quirky taste in contact lenses. When they made it downstairs, the lady at the desk was gone, probably off to make a cup of coffee or small snack, and they were able to walk out of the building, unbothered. It was evening outside and she watched as the sun slowly faded from the sight in the pink crepuscule of a beautiful late summer day.

"What made you choose philosophy?" He suddenly asked, breaking their silent walk.

"There's no truth in philosophy." She expressed, "And nothing misleads people like the truth."

He seemed amused by her reasoning, although he didn't delve deeper but rather seemed to understand the gist of it. She suddenly stopped then glanced at the wall gate, recalling the secret harbouring woman that lived beyond the tall fort. Demetri followed her gaze then back to her.

"I'm not thinking about running away." Jessica told him, fully knowing the brewing suspicion, "Not after what Dr. Cullen did for me."

"What is on your mind then?"

"Just..something." She trailed off, "Do you think I can leave the castle on my own? I'm not gonna run away."

"You're our guest; not hostage." He stated, "You're free to explore the town."

As warm and indulging he sound, she didn't miss his carefully chosen words; freedom is granted as long as she stayed within the wall and venture not too far from Volterra. She wasn't a guest, she  _was_  a hostage. A hostage bounded by chain long enough to construct an illusion of freedom and contentment.

"..Thank you."

* * *

She was given her food, delivered by the secretary to 'her' room on a silver metal tray. Delicious, mouth-watering smell emitted under the aluminium plate cover, her empty stomach growling in cry for food.

"Hello, Jessica, I'm Gianna." The beautiful Italian secretary greeted with a slight Italian accent, "If there's any questions or anything you need, don't hesitate to come to me. Us humans need to stick together yes?"

Jessica wasn't sure whether to feel disturbed or eased by the presence of another human among coven of vampires. She was here as a hostage. What was Gianna here for?

"Um..nice to meet you…" She let out awkwardly after a minute of quiet, "Do you think I can use a phone?"

"Sure!" She smiled, "But you must be hungry, finish your food first and I'll come and get you in an hour."

Jessica nodded and closed the door.

The food given to her was probably lot better than she had whilst she had been here. The appetiser was an Italian delicacy, Bottarga, a salted; cure fish roe served with olive oil, accompanied by crostini. The main was beautifully medium rare cooked bistecca fiorentina and cream gelato with white truffles in chilled silver cup to prevent melting.

She was able to finish them before Gianna came to get her and by the time the knock was heard, Jessica was ready to go.

"Finish?"

Jessica nodded and the two headed toward her desk. Gianna handed her the phone and excused herself to spare her the privacy. Jessica dialled her home phone number, taking time to assure her parents that she was doing fine and everything was well and unfortunately, her phone had broken.

"Are you calling from the hotel phone?"

"Yes, mum, I am." Jessica forced out in clear tone. "Um, mum…" It took all her energy to cover her faltering voice, trembling with chocking emotions.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" It came out too high and too hoarse, "Um, mum, I just want to tell you and dad that I love you."

"I love you too…is..something wrong?"

"No, no," She bit her lip in strive to keep her voice even, "Um, if you get my grade report, please remember I said 'I love you'."

"Well I kind of guessed you didn't do well the moment you decide drop everything and go on a world trip. I mean if that doesn't say mid-life crisis, I don't know what that is."

"Mum, Mike and Sully never graduated Monsters U and they worked their way up from the mail room all the way to the scare floor."

_"Are you really comparing real life to Monsters University? Seriously?"_

"At least, I'm alive and healthy; I think that's what we, as people, should prioritise."

_"You know this is your life. Do what you want, okay, don't worry about anything else and just live. Just enough not to get arrested or make a front page.."_

A small smile formed on Jessica's lips, gaze softened, "Thanks mum. I love you."

_"I love you too."_

"Uh, mum, can I ask for Bella's number – I need to talk to her and I don't know her number." Jessica jotted down the number, thanked her, muttered another 'I love you' and hung up. She sighed, mind brushed with guilt and regret. She should have kept her mouth nice and shut; played the usual bubbly, airheaded idiot with her trademark of superficial flare.

But it's too late.

Her fingers pressed the ten digit codes on the number pads. She slid out of Gianna's chair onto the cold rock floor, back resting against the desk.

She heard two rings before it was picked up.

_"Jessica?"_

Hearing Bella's voice triggered her to choke with emotion, eyes watering and her lips trembled, unable to find the right words to start the conversation. Does she say 'Hi? How are you?' or 'Hey, Bella, good to speak to you again.'

"Yo…so I'm alive, ha ha."

The other end of the line went silent and Jessica had to check that the call was still connected.

"..Uh, Bella?"

_"..I-ugh-I can't believe you!"_

"Fair enough," Jessica shrugged, "I concur."

She swore she heard Bella sniffle, her voice audibly quivering.

_"Thank God you're alive..thank god!"_

"Me too." She muttered, "Which is shocking because, as you'd know, I'm the most unluckiest person there is. Beside you."

_"I still can't believe you're making jokes at this situation."_

"It calms me." She told honestly, "I'm frightened and scared to death right now but humour makes things seem alright, even if it isn't."

_"You're taking it better than I expected."_

"I'm surprised too." Jessica agreed, "I thought I'd be in pieces and break down..I think all that Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayers prepared me for this situation."

Bella chuckled and Jessica smiled at the sign of her relaxing.

_"Who knew all that TV watching would come in handy."_

"I know right!" Jessica exclaimed proudly, "See, you do learn valuable life skills from TV shows."

They shared a hearty laugh, deadening down into prolonged stillness. It wasn't that they had no subjects to discuss or questions they wanted to ask, but a simple peaceful silence shared between the two friends, having confirmed each other's well-being seemed enough for now.

Jessica pursed her lips before forcing out, voice strained, "Bella do not come. I-I'll sort this out. I'll try to, this happened all because of me and my lousy mouth – let me take care of it, o-okay, at least let me try."

_"What? No–"_

"Bella," Jessica interrupted, her tone was levelled and calm, void of humour or fear – atypical of Jessica Stanley, "Please. Dr. Cullen already did so much. He didn't have to do that; I don't deserve that."

_"…You're my friend. I had every reason to do this. They won't just ignore when someone they know is going to be killed. Besides, Dr. Cullen said you're his funniest patient."_

She gulped and her sight blurred with wetness, "I…" Jessica took a gulp of air and tensely breathed out through her mouth, "I didn't really consider you as my friend." A pause of prepare, "Until recently, I..I never liked you..I'm gonna sound like a complete utter bitch, but I want to be honest from now on. I..moved to Forks when I was young, uh, my parents they were struggling with money–they still do and Forks is where you go when you've got no options. I hated it. I still hate it. I felt like an alien; I still do and I never fit in even if I seemed to. Gosh, do you know how tiring it is to act like Lauren 2.0? I don't know why everyone likes her but her bitchy attitude works and being a nerd doesn't. Mike was the first guy that seemed to like me for me you know? Like he gets it, at least around him I didn't had to be too much of Lauren 2.0. And Edward, yeah I had a crush on him, because he and his family seemed a bit like me – they never quite fit in and they seemed so proud of that and I  **loved** that. Then you come along with your Arizona attitude and everyone just becomes completely obsessed with you when, no offence, you aren't that special! Maybe because you're a new face in that boring, dull town where everyone knows each other and what their dogs ate the night before, but you don't even make an effort and people still like you. And it took me so long to be a part of something and you just so easily come in and take that…" A tear slipped passed her defence, trailing down her cheek and she wiped it away with the back of her sleeve, "So yeah, I just needed to get that off the chest and you deserve to know why I've been shrugging you off."

The other end of the line was dead silent except for a slight shuffling suggesting changing the speaker to other side of the ear.

_"..Thank you, Jess, for telling me this. But it still won't change anything. You're still my friend."_

"I know." Jessica rolled her eyes, "You might have your own bitchy moments but you like giving second chances."

_"Yeah, should I change?"_

"Nah," Jessica giggled, "You're fine the way you are."

_"So are you."_

Checking her watch and realising that she had been on the phone for half an hour and racking up a hefty phone bill, she decided to end the call.

"…Well, I got to go now, Bella." Jessica sadly informed, "But I'll speak to you later. Bella, do not come."

_"..Call me **soon** , okay? Promise me you'll call me whenever you can."_

"Okay," She smiled, "Promise."

_"Take care. Be careful. Please. Don't use that sarcasm with them."_

"Can't promise you that."

_"Jess!"_

"Don't worry, I'll be careful, okay, bye."

_"Bye. Speak to you soon."_

"Okay." Jessica returned the speaker onto the headset, letting out a deep sigh and standing up, composed.

Few minutes later, Gianna returned with a coffee in hand and asked, smiling, "Are you done with the phone?"

"Yes. thank you. Do you think I can use the phone more often?" She tentatively asked.

"Of course." She nodded, taking her seat and setting the Styrofoam beside her thick notebook, "Do you not have a phone?"

"It got broken when Demetri brought me here." She explained then added, "Well, Demetri stepped on it and crushed it into pieces."

"Oh." Gianna said, blinking, "That's unfortunate, I'll place an order for a replacement, is there any particular model you want?"

"Oh, no! It's fine – uh, I only need the phone to call my parents and friends, nothing urgent or anything..I think."

Gianna shook her head, writing it down on her diary, probably on her to-do list, "It would be comfortable for you to call your loved ones with your own phone than making frequent journey down here. Beside, Demetri was the one who broke it and it is my responsibility to make sure anything that needs to be sorted out is done."

"Well, it makes a nice exercise since I'm staying here now," Jessica reasoned, "I'm not too in a hurry so you can get it to me when I leave here."

Gianna stilled then glanced up at her, expression almost melancholic, "Jessica…"

"I know." She interjected, "I know I might not get out of here, alive or dead..or undead, but I stand by my words."

She nodded, "Okay, phone on the day you leave. What model?"

"Same as what I had before, iPhone."

"Got it."

"Thank you."

"No problem."

* * *

Standing in front of a three-storey, linear-style house, she took a gulp of air and raised her curled fist, hovering over the wooden door. Then suddenly, click was heard from the other side as the familiar old woman stepped outside with a warm smile.

"Ah, I was wondering when you will be back." She said with a low chuckle, turning toward the house and glanced over her shoulder, "Come in, piccolo. I'm sure you have many questions."

Briefly scanning her surrounding, she cautiously strode inside to the living room.

"Coffee? Juice? Tea?" She asked.

"Uh, just water please."

Giada brought out two cups, one filled with coffee and other water, and plate of biscuits and slices of cakes.

"Thank you." She took a sip and a bite of a delicious looking vanilla cake.

Giada patiently waited as Jessica mulled over her questions inwardly.

"Um…" Jessica started, "..How much do you think the legend is true?"

"I believe it's true. All of it."

"Have you..ever met them?"

"No." She shook her head; gazing toward the bookcase she stored the notebook, "But it would be a blessing to see them before this old lady die."

"Blessing..?" Jessica frowned and before she could say anything, Giada interjected.

"Oh, you should have seen this town before they came here." Giada paused, eyes soaked with memories, "My mother used to tell me they had nothing but poverty and war, and when the vampires took over, they promised peace and prosperity. And they delivered."

"..So everything in this town..they built all this?" Jessica suggested.

Giada nodded, "To us, it was very fortunate to have them."

Jessica stood up from the couch, approaching the large painting of a beautiful red-eyed woman that hung on the wall. She didn't know why but there was something alluring and magical about the way she seemed to pierce through the canvas to those who was privileged enough to bear witness to its beauty and the ghost of a smile suggesting a gentle, kind demeanour; breath-taking.

"It was said that this was given as a gift by one of the leader to Francesco who gave it to Valeria." Giada told her, "It has been passed down the family for as long as I can remember."

"Who painted it?" She asked.

"Caius."

"How close was Francesco to them?"

"One of few favourites." She said, "Favoured enough to not be killed as long as he maintained that fondness. As naïve as he seemed to be about what they were, I doubted he was that oblivious. He was simply clever enough to know what to say and when to be keep his mouth shut. I was told it was Caius who liked him the most out of the two. You see Caius hold absolute respect for art and sciences and he respected those who shared his love for the two. Luckily, Francesco was in love with them. More than he was in love with Valeria."

"Who is the woman in the painting?"

"His wife, Athenodora." She revealed.

"What happened to Francesco..? And Valeria?"

"They never got married." She said, "I believe Valeria was heartbroken by it and never got quite over him."

"And Francesco?"

"Oh he died by natural causes." She revealed blatantly, then added, "He wasn't turned, if that is what you're wondering."

Jessica knew the woman was aware the true reason why she revisited and what must have happened to her from the beginning which was why she didn't bother with lies or cover up. It would be an insult for this woman, who, for a long time sought the truth about what she saw as their saviour; their Gods. "My knowledge is limited, forgive me, but my mother told me they are very picky about who they turn." She apologised then turned to Jessica with a grin, "I'm glad they let you live."

"Not for long." Jessica muttered, finishing her cake.

"And may I ask, why?"

"I rather die than be turned."

Giada nodded in understanding, "Good. Don't change your mind. Eternal life is something one should not take light of for it would demand the greatest sacrifice one could ever give, if they can."

Jessica smiled sadly, she knew but she feared the inevitable discovery of the extent to which she was required to forfeit in the future.

"..Thank you for your time." Jessica gratefully said, signalling the end of their long meeting. The watch on her wrist pointed to an hour gone from when she looked at it last.

"No worries, piccolo." Giada stood up with a wrinkled smile, "I'm glad to have met you." She accompanied Jessica to the entrance, opening the door for her. Jessica nodded in farewell.

"Best of luck to you." She said, "Whenever happens, for better or worse, if you can, come and see me one more time."

"I will, Giada." Jessica swallowed the swell of grief in her chest, waving her what could be a last good bye, "Good luck to you too."

* * *

Jessica wondered whether she was more happy to have Gianna, a fellow human talk buddy or Gianna was of her. The woman seemed awfully isolated, even for a workaholic. No family, no friends and she didn't seem know many except a neighbour that she briefly sees few times a week and the bakeries and café shop workers that she frequents to. Even then, those little relationships she had were fragile – Jessica noticed how Giana would often alternate between different coffee and bakeries throughout the week, never visiting the same shop more than twice

It bothered her. For someone who seemed socially dependent and convivial in hail-fellow-well-met way; how strange to believe such person had trouble forming or maintaining bonds with others. She chatted in a way that suggest she had no one to ventilate her thoughts or emotions to and all those years of silence made her difficult to stop once she began. This meant, many times, Jessica was the listener to someone who sought out a person where she didn't had to hide many things, like working for an ancient clan of vampires and all that entails.

"So..why don't you want to become a vampire?" Gianna suddenly ask, stopping abrupt in midst of her dialogue about a creepy, stalks-ish guy she met in the bar.

Jessica blinked, caught off guard by the question, "Oh.."

"I heard few guards talking about you. How you'd rather choose death than become a vampire."

Jessica thought back to how many people would not want to become a vampire, "I like being human." Was her simple, thought-out answer.

"Why do you want to become a vampire, Gianna?" Jessica returned her with the question.

"I want to live forever with this face.." Gianna replied adamantly, caressing her face as though she could feel rotting away with each second, disgusted by the new forming lines of wrinkles, the sagging skin of her eyes and the corner of her lips, "I don't want to waste away."

"I don't want to waste away as a vampire," Jessica said, thinking back to Alec, "I'd rather be a firework you know? It shines so brightly for a moment then fade away the next…I think I'd be happier with that."

Gianna blinked slowly then smile stretched across her face, "If you're a firework…maybe I can be the moonlight that always shine in the night sky."

Jessica replied with a small smile of her own.


	9. Let's Just Survive

 

* * *

Jessica preferred to spend most of her day with Gianna by her desk, occasionally making calls to her home and doodling on a piece of paper. It unnerved her how guards, as Gianna called it, eyed her as though she was a juicy, rare steak whenever she walked past them and she would touch the pendant inside her pocket, to remind her – to  _remind_  them that she was 'inedible'. Untouchable.

The only vampire that seemed to think otherwise was Demetri and that burly, monstrous of a vampire she came to know as Felix who often accompanied the tracker. She surmised they were close friend from their jests and teasing to each other and were reminded of Mike and Eric.

"You should go out sometime." Gianna suggested, noting her brooding silence, "It's better than being in the castle all the time."

"Yeah, I guess so..get some sunlight or I'll get more pale than the vampires here." It was a horrid attempt of a joke that her voice and expression failed to deliver. Sounded too serious. Too dark. Like a horrible actor trying to act out a complex, emotional-ridden scene.

"If you like to read, there's a library you might wish to explore. Just be-" Before Gianna could finish her sentence, something in the dark connected to the tunnel caught her attention.

Jessica's ears perked at the 'library', she always liked reading. It was one of the things she could do to entertain herself without needing someone. Her parents had always been busy with their jobs and as a child she found reading would make time flow faster.

"I'll do." Jessica nodded with a smile.

Then a figure emerged from the dark, the death in flesh – sudden and noiseless as he eyed her with those crimson eyes that never failed to make her shiver. She imagined that was her blood, torn from her veins and exposed. She imagined her neck underneath those pearly teeth. She imagined her body cooling like the stone floor beneath it.

"Master Caius wants to see her."

Gianna's reaction to the name was instant. Her face was drained of all the colours like the vampires that surrounded them and she seemed to tremble like the onslaught of blizzard. Jessica felt sick. Oh, she thought, it must her time. He had come to led her to the slaughter site.

"Ok." Was her curt reply. She was surprised by her own calmness and acceptance of her impending death that probably will be painful and indignant.

Gianna opened her mouth, as though on precipice of speech that was shut down by Demetri's glare, watching helplessly as Jessica followed him.

"Hey, Gianna," Jessica turned with a tight smile, "It was nice meeting you."

Her voice seemed lost until the pair was long gone, letting out a whisper, "..It was nice meeting you too."

* * *

"You're awfully quiet." Demetri commented, "Usually, you talk quite a lot."

Maybe he heard her continuous chatting with Gianna but at that moment, she didn't really care nor replied to his question.

He grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the almost trance-like march; concern settling on his countenance, "You're.." His words were lost to the heavy silence in the air and from the corner of her eyes, she espied his other arm outstretch toward her and she flinched back. He stilled, arm frozen in mid-air before resuming its course to wipe something from her cheeks.

She saw something wet glistening in his fingers, her own hand reaching to her face to realise something warm and salty were running down her face to which she quickly wiped it away with her sleeve, letting out a breathless laughter, "Hah, what's wrong with me?" It was more of self-mumbling than a question.

Demetri stood still, almost as if he was waiting for her to compose herself.

"Let's go." She said once she found the stability in her voice and began to walk ahead which he caught up within seconds.

"Are you scared of us now?" His question surprised her, the disappointment and something that resembled mortification laced in his voice.

"I'm going to die aren't I?" She finally said it, her voice unwavering and in matter-of-factly tone.

"Master Aro promised you will live." He said.

"Why else would the other master want to see me?"

The reply never came as Demetri held open the door, stepping to the side as Jessica with her hesitant footsteps entered the throne room. This time, the three thrones were all occupied and she furtively glanced up to examine the co-ruler. The man – or a vampire, was not much older looking than her, maybe late 20s but no more. His pale skin and blond hair formed some sort of halo around him and like all the vampires; he was frighteningly beautiful even with his expression contorted with disgust. It didn't make any sense but she thought it made him even more alluring. Then her attention shifted toward another figure standing closely by the thrones with a young, female vampire that had also been absent when she was dragged here and couldn't stop her eyes from widening mirroring his expression.

"This is the human that is causing all the needless trouble." His cold tone could be a knife that cut through her, pulling her away from  _him._  She suddenly had the unbearable need to not to squirm under his heated gaze like she was some insect he had the unfortunate to step on, all the while she was also a tender, ripe meat ready to be devoured.

"And you decided my own judgement was unnecessary." Caius addressed Aro with a mixture of irritation and confusion, "Brother.."

"Brother," Aro fondly replied, "You were on reconnaissance and decision had to be made on immediate notice."

"What is the reason that you spared her?" He spat out venomously.

"She's a close acquaintance to our Isabella and the Cullens."

"You deemed a mere acquaintanceship is sufficient to spare her." Caius let out a humourless chuckle, a mockery of the weight of the situation.

"I also bear my responsibility in my part of action," Aro explained in his usual, soft animated tone, "Dear Alec took an interest in the human and I simply wished to meet her in return I gave my word that she is not to be harmed. I've read in her mind that she had no intention of telling anyone of our existence."

Caius jerked toward Alec with a frown marring his face, wordlessly demanding some sort of explanation.

Alec remained silent, his gaze never leaving hers'. It was like everything around them disintegrated and only they remained in the darkness, separated by meagre distance he could close within few strides.

That was their mistake.

Caius then shifted his attention to the blonde girl standing beside him and who was glaring at her with equal disdain. "Jane."

Jessica knew something was coming, something bad and it was. She watched as a smile unfurled in Jane's full lips and Jessica found herself sprawled on cold stone, gritting down her teeth to stop herself from screeching. The white hot pain tore through her body in a way she never felt before and couldn't describe; it was like her veins were on fire, her eyes, her heart, her organs, every cells even the ones she didn't know existed were burning black like the lung of a smoker and shredding her skin. This must be what being burned alive felt like. This indescribable, unfathomable pain – the sheer agony of it that made her think twice about dying. She never wanted a death as painful as this and maybe she was too foolish to think her death at the hands of a vampire was ever going to resemble any sort of peacefulness she sought.

She wasn't sure how long she managed to hold her screams, it felt like a measly second until the scream ripped itself free from her throat.

"Enough." Jessica barely heard Aro say to Jane perhaps. Or it might be to his brother.

The pain didn't stop and she begged it did, god she prayed. Please please please please please please please PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE-PLEASE-!

"Jane." Aro's voice hardened. A final warning.

Jane only coursed more pain into Jessica's veins, eyes flared with concentration-

An arm roughly shook her, yanking her gaze away from the tortured human on the ground to its owner and a gasp escaped her, concentration broken, she had never been disturbed while utilising her power. Jane's eyes met the colour of her own, her reflection imprinted on it. Her own face staring back at her. Her twin brother staring back at her. Her other half. It had been  _him_ who interrupted.

"Jane." Alec addressed in a way that was void of his usual, affectionate gentle tone. It was one that of a firm, chastising tone she had only ever heard him use three times in their lifetime where he had been truly angry.

Jane's lips pursed into a thin line, her own ire flaring but this time directed at him as she wrenched her arm back, hurt and confused.  _Why brother?_  That question ran through her mind in never ending loop. With one last glare, she hastily exited the room.

Aro tutted at the unconscious form he had given his word of safety, "Demetri, please take her back to her room."

Demetri approached, gently holding her up, arms hooked under her knees and back and retreated back out of the throne room.

"Brother that was uncalled for." Aro frowned, "You could have killed her."

"Just as the law dictates!" Caius retorted, "Since when did we foster habits of making exceptions?!"

"Carlisle is my friend," Aro reminded with finality in his voice, "I would not have him upset if I could."

"That yellow eyed aberrant?" Caius bit out, "You would put him above our laws?!"

"She has no intention of betraying our secret and it was for my selfish reason I decided to have her involved," Aro iterated once more, "I have given her choices – either she become one of us or dies. She will make her decision."

Caius could feel his lips tremble, a retort on the edge of his tongue that he swallowed down. Even he would restrain himself from questioning Aro's power and decision more than afforded and the stress of Aro's words whispered the extent of that granted privilege had come to its apogee that he heeded instinctually. The only inkling of Caius' reprisal coarct in his closed fist that would unfold then fisted again.

"It would be interesting to see which she chooses in the end." Aro continued, rubbing his hands together with delight, "Very few of us were given that gift of choosing."

"This is why you ask of me to take Alec with me." Caius realised with anger, "So that you may play this facetious game of yours'."

"Life is a game of chess, brother." Aro turned to him with tinge of a smile. "She will bring me what I want."

Something sunk in Caius' mind with awareness, his countenance slightly unwinding, "The Cullens'."

"I entreat you to welcome her whilst her time here, brother." Aro asked.

* * *

Alec  _hated_  seeing his sister upset. She should only smile. Nothing else. Smile suited her. Everything he did, he did it for his sister. Every thought, every action, even disregarding his true emotions and wants, were for her. Jane. His beloved sister. His world.

Her back was turned, shoulders fraught with tension and her head lowered. Oh, how he detested her wretched state.

"Sister." He mustered up the courage, approaching her with the mean to console. Something sharp cut through him when she rejected his touch, his hands now limply hanging by his side.

"Is that the distraction?" Jane was aware about the human. Demetri had explained that much to her before she was casted away to Mexico along with Master Caius and Alec. It had bothered her ever since. Seeing the girl had coloured her worry into something tangible, an absolute proof. Her fear. Her jealousy. Her insecurity.

"I am sorry, Jane."

She paused. She already knew. Jane had always known the sacrifices he made for the sake of her happiness and she was always sorry – that she might be holding him back somehow. Ruining his chance of finding happiness, one he could call his own.

"Is she important to you?"

"No." He replied without hesitation and that was true. No one could compare to his sister. Everything else was second, "Nothing ever will."

Jane knew it too. Yet she couldn't help but fear he might. If she could cry, thousands of tears would have been wept. But she couldn't and so her face contorted into some ill-matching expression of sadness.

"You're worried about her." She stated.

"Humans are fragile." Alec reminded, "You could have killed her."

"So?" Jane turned over her shoulder ever so slightly, "What one more human dead? She is nothing."

"She's acquainted with the Cullens'. Master Aro would be upset if Carlisle was."

"And since when did we start to comprise their feelings into judgement? Is it not enough that we spared that human girl?"

"She will choose, sister." He stepped closer, stopping to scan for any sign of rejection and when there wasn't, wrapped his arms around her shoulder, "Do not concern yourself with Jessica."

Jane's brows furrowed, did he know? Did he do it on purpose? That he had used that human's name.

 _Liar._ She thought.

* * *

Jessica woke with tears, the pillow damp and cold. She shivered; the cool room was always a bit cold for her liking and she wished someone turned on the heating. There was an overwhelming need for warmth – a human touch. Someone with a heart that was beating like hers', blood pumping in their veins and colour in their cheeks. The pain had disappeared yet her body was drugged with hazy heaviness she couldn't describe. It was like you were expecting to be sore and hurt but wasn't. Instead she was mentally exhausted and drained. Her throat was dry and raw from the strains of her scream.

She didn't know how long she was lying still, staring at the rain running down the window. Jessica liked watching the world through the rain stained glass, there was some kind of beauty in the blurred colours and lights and shapes that was almost dreamy and comforting. Her ears focused on the pitter-patter of the droplets hitting against it, a calming, soothing lullaby that never failed to allure her into deep slumber.

"Are you alright?" The familiar lilt of faint Italian mixed with other accents she couldn't quite place came from behind her and slowly, she turned to the side to see him standing near her bed.

He seemed apprehensive, troubled by the sight of her and the two gazed into each other for a long time before she spoke.

"Yeah. I'm alive." That's all that mattered.

Jessica heaved herself up from the bed, back against the pillow, "I'm fine." Then resumed to watching the rain fall.

She heard him advance, rounding to her side of the bed and coming closer until she could smell his intoxicating scent that all vampires seemed to ooze, so close that she could feel his body's emitting coldness.

"Is she Alec's sister?"

"Yes. Jane."

"The pain I felt..was it her doing?"

"Her gift."

 _What a crude gift._ Jessica thought,  _For a girl with an angel-like face, her power is like the devil._

He seemed like he had something to say but held back when she rose up from the bed, holding her up by the arm when she staggered to gather her balance. Jessica could feel the tightness around her arm. Her muscles and bones. It was uncomfortable. If such small pinch hurt her bone  _this_  much, a slightly more pressure would snap it like sticks.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside." She answered, avoiding his stare as she waited for him to let go.

Demetri's hand slid down her arm and dropped to his side, unmoving as he watched her exit the room.

* * *

It was twilight by the time she stepped outside of the castle, the breeze gently caressing her face like mother's touch and as she watched the clouds floating by; warm, salty tears streaked down her face to the curve of her neck and took a deep breath of the air, mulchy earth combined with fresh resinous scent before letting out a heavy sigh, her body slumping with the exhalation. She wasn't' sure why but the smell had an instinctive calming effect to her, like encased in a deep ocean, sinking and sinking into the darkness–like Alec's power though just different in a way she relished in the senses and not deprived of it. She found peace in all sensations her senses brought just as she did in nothingness.

When Jessica snapped out of her auto-mode, she found herself standing by the centre fountain in the town square, disturbingly incognizant of her journey from the castle to the town. She sighed, slumping against the cold stone all the while watching the people bustling by, so blissfully oblivious against the dark secret that lurked beneath them. Or amongst them.

A child with a cone of gelato, holding hands with her mother.

A couple happily chatting away, the boyfriend's arm around her shoulder.

A woman going home from work.

A man eating alone in the café.

Group of girls huddled together, giggling as they shared their phones with each other.

That was normal. That was what she had. What she took for granted. And she lost them all because of her stupid curiosity.

Her eyes watered, threatened to spill and she quickly wrested her head to the ground, watching it darken the graphite with inky blots, like the rain droplets from the sky.

Jessica turned, hurrying away from the people; she could feel their prying stares, their attention on the girl who just can't avoid being noticed. A blare of horn snapped her out of her daze, tumbling to the ground to avoid colliding with the oncoming car. Jessica remained rooted on the dirty ground, ignoring the driver's panicked, apologetic concerns or other passer-by, nonchalantly heaving herself up and walking away much to their confusion. She stopped at the same backstreet Alec found her, perching on one of the stair. It was almost always empty and no light reached there so they couldn't see her cry. It was safe here, she was hidden.

Knees tucked into her chest, face buried, she didn't notice someone had been there, hidden within the darkness like her, silently watching ever since she left the castle. A polished, black dress shoe came into her narrow, obstructed view then the man seemed to kneel, his dark trouser was all she could see. Slowly, she lifted up her head; eyes levelled with his, crimson seemed to glow in the dark. It belonged there. In the darkness.

His finger gently wiped away the tears, one by one. His cold touch was ironically strange against the warmth of his gesture, she couldn't help be aware.

"You followed me." Her voice quivered, lips trembling.

"I wanted to see what you'd do." Demetri replied.

Her face contorted into mixture of emotions as she registered his word; hurt, anger, disconcert. It was as if she was some sort of experimental rat he'd put in a cage with various stimuli, poking and jabbing to whet amusing enough of a reaction.

"I'm not some  _toy_  you damn vampires push around!" Jessica gritted out, gravelled by his perverse inquisitiveness as she swept his arm away, "I'm not a freak show on display, I'm not-I'm not…" Her chest rose and fell as her pulse quickened and breath became shallow and hyperventilated.

"..I'm…," Her breath slowed, coming to a steady tempo, "I'm..just me. Nothing interesting. Nothing to be amused about."  _I'm just trying to survive._

"You're Jessica Stanley." He affirmed after a while, "A human that isn't afraid of vampires-no, that's not entirely correct…a human that simply wants to survive, regardless what it may be, is it?"

His finger cupped her chin lightly, craning it up to him; her eyes still red and glistening with tears as he continued, "Even now, you're not afraid. Rather, you're angry. Angered at the injustice you suffered for which you did not deserve. Ah, is that determination I see as well?"

 _I can't run away._ She won't. She couldn't.

Not when Dr. Cullen had essentially placed his neck on the guillotine for her.

Not while this vampire still lived.

"Wise choice." He said as if he saw through her treacherous mind. "If you wish to live, it'd be wise to keep yourself interesting. When you live as long as we do, things get bored awfully quickly."

Jessica's eyes hardened with defiance, a look he liked seeing – it always signified a challenge, something tenacious that he would have fun peeling. "Like I said," She bit out, sweeping away his hand, "I'm not a toy and I won't act like one."

"Admirable foolish gallant," He applauded, "With a death wish."

She stood up. Demetri followed with graceful fluidness. Jessica headed back to the town with determined steps, whole body tense and stiff and her chin held high, refusing to throe in denial any longer.

Demetri glanced over his shoulder, a figure that had been following them not ever since she had left the castle and a silence witness to their small maundering. Alec's expression did not betray any thoughts or emotions that could be turmoiling within him but Demetri was acquainted with the twins' mien to know displeasure waving off him, his thinner lips slightly pursed and the twitching and tightening of the corner of his eyes.

It was enough to arouse a small response on Demetri, a subtle flutter of his lips that could not be considered a smirk but something similar.

* * *

 


	10. Chapter X: A Girl in the cloud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put original version of Pandora (chapter 1-18) on Dropbox (as PDF). Dropbox has two options you can choose from: with reviews replies or without.
> 
> Dropbox links are in my TUMBLR ACCOUNT : sunset-wishes-upon-hill

 

Gianna shot to her side the moment Jessica hobbled in, her face darkly stricken and taut; she looked like an animal walking into an abattoir, realising its fate as it was led inside by the recoiling chain. The vampire’s secretary felt nothing but sympathy for the girl, it was one thing to willingly delve into their world but to be dragged into it was being handed a death sentence for a mere crime of knowing. How unfair, how unjust it must be for her.

Yet despite all this, Jessica managed a small smile in Gianna’s way and a firm squeeze of her arm as though to say: ‘I’m okay, it’s alright’.

“Hey, I went out just as you said and..it was great.” Jessica revealed with voice low and almost timid, devoid of her usual bubbly cheeriness.

“You should seat down.” Gianna firmly said, guiding her toward the spare seat that was Jessica’s.

“I just stood by the fountain, watching people go by.” Jessica mumbled, “Do you know there’s a 50% sale on that boutique shop you mentioned?”

Gianna nodded with a smile of her own, silently commending her effort to keep herself intact.

“We should go shopping sometimes.” Jessica added, “Don’t you get paid a lot? You know, with all these secrets keeping and all that.”

“I do.” She said, “Sure, let’s go. I’ll get you a new phone too.”

“Okay but bill it to them.”

“What’s the business card for?” And Gianna flashed Jessica a mischievous smile.

* * *

 _I’m scared to wander._ Jessica maffled inwardly to herself as she glanced out toward the dark, grey sky in the extended half round window pane situated up high on the curving of the roof in a way that resembled an inside of a church.

She felt as though she were chained by an invisible rope tying her to this cold, isolated, alien castle, never letting her wander too far. Even though the castle was inhibited by vampires, it was no more than being alone inside this artfully designed keep. They were more like a shade. A spirit that would only come out at night and moved from one walls to another in eerie silence appearing then disappearing from the corner of her eyes that left the living occupant frightened whether it was all in her head or something, however brief it may be, had been there. Humans left an evidence of warmth; vampires left trails of coldness. The air in the castle was always cold except in the odd areas where fires and candles were lit, creating this bizarre immiscible of warmth and cold that never mixed like water and oil so she’d get one part in the room that was noticeably warmer than the rest. When vampires lingered, that part of the area temperature noticeably dropped in the same way putting a block of ice in the middle of the room and the room temperature becomes cooler and that’s how she knew they had been there sometimes or another.

Naturally, she sought the warmest part of the castle – the library. Maybe it’s because it’s where the most sun is shone throughout the day; this side was the most open and exposed skeleton of the castle with the most windows. Maybe it’s the books acting as insulator but Jessica soon found herself favouring this out of all rooms she was allowed in. More than her own room.

She liked the smell of the old books, something about its musky, papery scent that soothed her like a mother’s scent would for a baby. Often, she’d huddle herself on the corner floor, stacks of various studies of books fort around her. Many were written in Latin and other ancient language she was sure was considered dead but thankfully, large collections of it were English – in one form or another. Jessica didn’t bother finish all these books, simply skimming through them until her interest in them wore off.

“Who gave you the permission to be here?” It was a man’s voice. Low, biting and scathing tone that made shivers crawl down her spine from the first moment she had heard them. His eyes were the most frightening of his features, she thought.

The book slipped out of her hand, clacking onto the marble floor and she shot up, her head jerked toward the source, meeting his narrowed gaze and suddenly she froze liked a cornered rat as the shadows of its predator grew until it usurped her whole existence. As she registered the swarming emotions blinking pass his eyes, she wondered what she had done – or what her kind had done – to deserve such hatred and disgust. Weren’t they a human once? Weren’t he?

He didn’t like her keeping schtum at his order, appearing in front of her in speed humans eyes couldn’t follow before something icy and hard tied itself around her neck, cutting off her oxygen supply and all she could do was flail weakly in its grasp.

 _It’s a damn library,_ She chewed on her tongue, all too focused on self-preservation than a witty, sarcastic comeback – particularly with this vampire.

“I…I..thought I could..” She managed to stutter out, voice hoarse from the increasing pressure and limited air in her lung. _Someone help me!_

Then he let her go, falling in a heap on the ground as she gasped for breath. She swore his grip tightened with dab of final finish before he changed his mind and let her go. There was a flutter of his suit and her arm shot out grab his leg, digging her nails into the solidness. Jessica blinked, realising what she had done and quickly removed her hand away.

“I-I’m sorry!” Jessica muttered, body trembling as she avoided his deadly glares he sent down her way.

Her body had acted on its own accord in fit of strong, compelling emotions she couldn’t identify at that time. Defiance, anger, curiosity. She wanted to ask him why he hated her. Hated humans. But also to show him she wasn’t going to quiver in fear like everyone do in his presence.

Every second it ticked by, she thanked God that she was alive. Or she might already be dead.

“Get out of my sight.” He growled in final tone.

 _Be calm, Jess,_ She said to herself through the morass, taking a moment to gather her thought and composure, she nodded and kneeled down to collect her books, garnering as much as she could with both her arms and moved to the furthest part of the room, ducking her head and staying low while peeking through the stacked books from the ground.

Caius clenched his eyes shut, his fingers twitching with the urge to simply crush the human’s throat and drain her and let the body deliquesce like the others in the sewage. The only thing that was holding him back was Aro’s cordially disguised warning that the girl was not to be harmed.

Bead of sweat formed and trickled down Jessica’s temple as her fingers trembled with great effort holding on the top corner of the paper, gently trying to turn the page without making an ounce of noise. Not even the slightest change in the air should be detected. She could feel tears forming. Why? She wanted to ask whoever was up there.

It was then a thought manifested in her mind with a vengeance, why should she have to be conscious of him? Why does she must be oppressed? _I’ve done nothing wrong._

Her fingers gripped the page confidently and flicked it over, immersing herself into the book she was reading and soon, the blond vampire was forgotten and she found herself, safe and warm, in the imaginative world of words.

* * *

She learned the older looking vampire was Marcus. And he seemed so much kinder and blasé to the whole situation of co-habiting with the human even if he did seemed so jaded to everything. She felt nothing from him and everything from the blond vampire whose name often slipped out of her memory and wondered what sort of physiological difference lied between the two for it to have happened.

“Why does he hate me?” Jessica asked one day, looking up from her book and across the table.

“Caius does not like humans.” His voice just as beautiful and clear yet there was a heaviness to it that was absent to other vampires that made him seemed more older than he actually looked, or was. She couldn’t help but imagine Marcus as one of elderlies you see in the care homes, exhausted and tired of life that they just stare at the ticking clock all day in their sofa, hoping for their exit. Only for Marcus, there isn’t one.

“But wasn’t he one before?”

“We all were, child.”

“Do you think he’ll kill me?”

“Aro made it clear that you are not to be harmed.”

“And is that guaranteed?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, okay, thank you.” Did she feel relieved? No.

“You’re welcome, child.”

“Do you think philosophy is useless?” Jessica suddenly asked in attempt to extend their small exchange, “People say taking a major in philosophy is waste of time and there isn't many career paths to it. But I like it.”

“Is your enthusiasm for it not enough?” Marcus asked.

“You need money to live.”

“Then which one can you live without?” Oh, he made her think. It wasn’t his intention to end their talk briefly but it had been at amicable and joyful ending – at least to her it was and she hoped it was reciprocated.

* * *

Jessica finally saw Alec a week later and apprehensively, she searched his face for any emotions that may tip off what he was thinking. His face remained passive and aloof, posture still and in distant from where she was standing. Even though there was always that unbridgeable gap between them, he never felt so elusive as she felt him regard her with those cold, red eyes. Something changed.

“Long time no see, Alec.” Jessica decided to break silence.

“Do you regret it?” He asked after a beat.

“Regret what?”

“..Meeting me.” He elaborated, “Allowing you to live when you begged to die. Dragging you into our world. All of this.”

Jessica froze at his words, her eyes which had widened, simply blinking at him in baffle. For a moment, she was lost for word, her mind frantically racing to find an appropriate, ideal answer. What would he like to hear? How should she word it as not to upset him? What would make him happy-?

Jessica cut off that line of thinking, such thinking was ingrained within her ever since she was a child in a strange, rainy, unfamiliar town; all too mindful and pressed to make friends as fast as possible as to avoid the obvious tell-tale of an outsider than she and her family already was. It had taken a lot of planning, effort and ass kissing to become part of Lauren’s clique. Sometimes, she doesn’t recognise the girl she became. A popular Fork High student and a member of Lauren’s gang, a soon-to-be valedictorian, a jock’s girlfriend to students, Mike’s girlfriend to friends, likely prom queen candidate, a philosophy major.

She must have been thinking a long time because she saw him falter and slowly step back with his head lowered, taking in her silence as confirmation.

“Not really..” She started with a small smile, “I’m actually glad I’ve met you.”

Alec raised his head, almost expectedly and it was the perfect picture of innocence like a child waiting for a scolding but instead was rewarded with praise. It lit his face up like nothing else, she noticed with slight relief; although it was not visibly animated Jessica was well versed with him to read subtle changes in his expression to know that persistent despondence seemed to disperse slightly.

“This is a beautiful garden, you know.” Jessica said, scouting out the beautiful topiary forming an arch with colourful flowers and branches articulately woven together as though the different species sprouted all on one seed.

“It’s my sister’s.” Alec revealed, glancing up at the source of her wonder. He wasn’t sure how long it took for her sister to force the trees to grow in unnatural, artificially crafted way as concept of time was something meaningless. Botany or floral arrangements weren’t something he was particularly interested in learning.

“Your sister is..” She felt him tense up, “..Isn’t what I exactly have in mind.”

“And what did you thought of my sister then?” There was a hint of defensive tone in his voices, all prepared to react and guard his sister’s name as older brothers’ do.

“I thought she’d be like you.” Jessica said, “Or the complete opposite. But I was betting on the former. She doesn’t like me.”

“She does not like anyone.” _Or anything much. Except masters and me and her garden._ Alec inwardly added.

“I think I’m on the bottom-bottom part of list of things she hates.”

“My sister..” He seemed to struggle to find a voice, “My sister..is not like what you think despite..what you have seen and experience.”

“Then what is she like?” She asked.

“She is rash and often impulsive but kind.” He said with a smile, “She may not be perfect, but to me she is the best sister I could ever wish for.”

“You love her.”

“How can I not?”

“Because if you truly were a monster like you said you are, you wouldn’t be capable of such feeling.”

She saw his expression fall, withdrawing back to their conserved cold, hard gaze that only made him harder to approach and it was such a stark difference against Demetri’s ambiverted nature.

“You should not say those words lightly.” He whispered warningly, slowly retreating back all the while their eyes were still connected, leaving Jessica nibbling on her lips with uneasiness.

* * *

Jessica wasn’t sure what’s worse. Being stuck in a confide room with Jane or with these two, she thought as she regarded the two ancient leaders sat by the audaciously expensive looking white marble table glided with gold in the centre of the library. The two books she was holding had long clattered onto the floor with shock at seeing them when she arrived.

“Jessica,” Aro was the first to speak with pleasant tone like one would greet a friend.

“..Hi.” She managed to return, eyeing Caius who seemed more than happy to ignore her existence in the room which suited her fine. Better in fact. She didn’t want to be more an eyesore than she already was in his eyes.

“You seemed to be adapting well to us,” Aro commented with a playful smile that reminded of the look on the cat’s expression as it played with a poor mice in trapped in its paws, “And I appreciate that you accepted my offer of inviting to stay with us.”

Jessica blinked, unable to stop the thought ‘BULLSHIT!’ flashing through her mind in a split second. Then blinked again. Then again.

“Well, thank you for allowing me to stay here,” Jessica expressed her gratitude in awfully fake bright tone that it was only done out of custom in this civil, kind conversation before adding with sarcasm, “But I didn’t really have any choice in this say unless I wanted to end up being liquefied with acid which isn’t really how I dreamed of leaving this world – I prefer a more peaceful death, preferably dying in my sleep at 87, with natural burial, with my body wholly intact in a biodegradable casket buried in a proper six feet down in moist, neutral ph. soil, preferably by the church garden with a headstone with my name and some lovely epitaph describing how I lived a fulfilled, happy life and surrounded by my family and friends. And now, thanks to your wonderful offer, I’m struggling to sleep at night because you know locking your oak doors and putting chairs and table against it isn’t strong enough to stop a vampire from wanting to decide that I’d make a nice night snack all the while trying my best to avoid Jane and your human hating brother who loves to visit the library like me. Other than that, I’m having an amazing holiday here. Thanks for asking.” She ended with a forced smile and a nod of finish.

Aro’s smile broaden, his vibrato chuckle echoing throughout this palatial place and it never failed to make shiver slither down her spine although she tried not to show it.

“I can assure your safety whilst you’re under my care.” He promised and she almost believed him, who would think otherwise with that melodic, velvety smooth voice of his but Jessica knew more than anything to always seek the true meaning behind the articulately blurred promises. She almost wished she had his power to read his mind. He was an enigma, an unnecessarily complex riddle that made her want to pull out her hair. An endless peeling of skins that refused to expose itself.

Jessica glanced back to Caius whose attention stilled on the tome in front of him and despite his seemingly ignorance of commerce unwinding in front of him, she knew he was listening. He hasn’t turned a page ever since she had walked in and Aro initiated the exchange. Jessica wanted to ask deeper about the reason of her stay at the castle but it was a private matter that she needed to be alone with Aro. For a very good reason, she didn’t want her usual habit of making a silly slip of the tongue emerge in front of this blond vampire.

Aro must have noticed her hesitance, tilting his head as he regarded her then to Caius before settling back unto her with those milky, crimson eyes that seemed to swirl on its own, “We must frighten you.”

“..That’s a stupid question.” Jessica voiced out unconsciously. As much as it should have been her private thought, it **_was_** a daft question, Jessica thought, and he knew it. Although why he was testing out the depth of her fear of them was completely lost to her.

“Just some of you.”

“Some?”

“I’m afraid of you,” A pause, “And..him.”

She wasn’t sure how she should address him although ‘your brother’ seemed to be a safe phrase that wouldn’t offend him.

There was a flicker of genuine surprise as though her fearing him wasn’t something he intended. Or maybe it was something else. She wasn’t sure what to make of him.

“You’re being very honest.” Aro noted. The books he had been reading long abandoned in favour of their exchange.

“There’s no point in trying to lie to someone who can read my mind by touch.” She retaliated with a tinge of playfulness, her body slightly relaxing.

“Many still try.”

“Sounds like they got a death wish.” She commented candidly.

Aro hummed and Jessica knew those who had tried to lie to him were long dead.

“You do not have to be afraid.” Aro reassured her, “No harm will come your way.”

Jessica nodded, “Okay, I was getting tired moving those heavy table and chairs back and forth every night and morning.”

Still, that promise was only valid as long as she didn’t step out of line.

 

 

 


	11. Chapter XI: continue living

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put original version of Pandora (chapter 1-18) on Dropbox (as PDF). Dropbox has two options you can choose from: with reviews replies or without.
> 
> Dropbox links are in my TUMBLR ACCOUNT: sunset-wishes-upon-hill

 

Adoptability was such a scary thing. Humans were good at adapting and responding and coping. Few weeks of living with vampires in castle, she almost forgot they were vampires and that she was their food. Almost. Few vampires, like Felix, managed to distract her from that fact with his confident, easy going personality that evoked her memory of Ben and Austin.

“Don’t tell me girls actually go for that cheesy line.” Jessica frowned, sipping her bitter, dark, extra shot Americano just the way she liked it.

“What makes you think I’m making an effort to impress you?” Felix retorted as he sat across the spare chair from her.

Gianna had gone out to get her dinner while Jessica volunteered to man the desk while the position was empty only to find herself an amusement toy for a boring vampire. Jessica couldn’t help but laugh at the sight that was comical, his broad, tall body too small for the chair that she swore its legs was going to give out soon and he’ll tumble to the ground.

“No, I assume those girls weren’t exactly the brightest bulb on the porch if they think those pick-up lines are romantic.”

“They don’t mind it as long as…” He trailed off, leaving the finishing of the sentence to her imagination.

“..They die a painful death?” Jessica intoned.

“No need to be jealous.”

“I guess the vampire world doesn’t have a vampire therapist,” Jessica retaliated, “Because you guys need one. Several in fact.”

Felix’s attention suddenly shifted over her shoulder as his lopsided smirk stretched further to his ear and for a moment, Jessica thought _He really lost it hasn’t he? Living for thousands of years is pretty long enough to drive someone mad._ A cold hand snatched her away from her wandering mind, jerking her head to look up at the hand’s owner and found equally crimson eyes as the one across her gazing down at her, perfect, white teeth in display as his lips bared a small grin.

“Felix has been keeping you entertained.”

“Actually, I decided to grace my presence to him – lucky him.” Jessica replied with a smirk of her own to the towering vampire across her.

“Will you be so kind enough to grace me with your presence then?” He politely asked.

“Uh…sure?” Jessica answered hesitantly, shooting a look toward Felix whose smirk – which can’t possibly stretch further – only broadened with a look that suggested he knew something she didn’t.

“Keep on smirking; I’ll punch it off your face.” Jessica raised a brow in a challenge and Felix erupted into a roaring laughter and she heard a smaller, more refined sound above her. It was so different from Felix’s rough, coarse voice and it always sent tingles down her neck.

“Come.” Demetri said, pulling her up from the chair toward the stairs that would lead them to the ground above.

* * *

The night in Volterra was always so beautiful, Jessica thought, the clear, cloudless sky; the large bright moon hovering above her and the stars that twinkled so brightly like space diamonds as she used to call it as a child. The town was like a ghost town after 6pm and very little artificial lighting lit the street. She would have thought it was dangerous to roam outside alone with little people outside should something happened but she always like the night than morning – the wind, the mood, the sounds and thought the world was more beautiful with the moon in it than the sun. It was also convenient for vampires to come out without wearing their hood and contact lenses to hide their vampiric features.

“You were gone for a while.” Jessica started after a while of walking.

“Work.” He curtly said.

“To track people down?”

“And to eliminate if necessary.”

“Are those people vampires?”

“Mostly.”

Jessica froze before quickly recovering, “You track down humans too?”

“Those who discovers our identity needs to be dealt with before the world realises vampires exists.”

“..So you turn them.”

He smiled and made an amusing huff through his nose, “We rarely turn humans into vampires – smaller populations are more convenient to control and monitor. To have a choice in the matter is a privilege not many of us had, you’re lucky.”

“So they tell me(!)” She smiled sadly as she watched an older lady walk across them with the aid of the walking stick and a bag of grocery in her free hand. He followed the line of her stare then back to her.

“Is that what you want?” He asked softly, slowly realising, shifting his observation back to the frail, old woman hobbling with difficulty to walk a longer stride than a shuffle. “To grow…senile.”

Jessica rolled her eyes, “Not senile, hey that’s just offensive to the elderlies! I meant just..old. After living a life I want, fulfilling my dreams, achieving my goals and just seeing the amazing, beautiful things in the world…that’s what I want.”

His face scrunched up, puzzled as though he had trouble processing the sentences.

Jessica watched as different emotions flashed past his face, asking, “What is beautiful to you?” Then she pointed at the run down house in the high ground among the stacks of houses, a dim light shone through a small window, “I think that’s beautiful.”

Demetri’s frown deepened, “..I’m not sure how you’d consider..a shack beautiful.”

“You need to learn to give meanings. Which is why I don’t really need to go to an art museum I might add.” Jessica said as the strength in her voice faltered, “..I don’t want to lose that.” The implication she would if she turned into a vampire rang loudly between them.

Beauty was subjective. Beauty may be effete and superficial in his eyes but not to her. Beauty was all around her. Its meaning came from the meanings one assigned to it. Like the slow look in the shower that gets you lost in the droplets or the spontaneous tears on your walk home from staring at the colours painted in the sky and really ‘seeing’ it for so long.

The run down house on your walk home has history, if you know how to ‘look’ and feel it.

The trees you pass by can be assigned meaning the same way Van Gogh’s painting does, if you look at it with the same depth.

If you knew how to look deeply, without concepts and constructs, you can see with sensitivity – a deeply present moment and view that’s untainted and meditative. The meaning one is able to derive and assign to their moment to moment experiences will be more than enough to entertain, understand and learn about the world, and yourself.

“A human who wants to become senile and die…” Demetri muttered to himself in amusement, “You’re odd.”

“Look, Mr. I-live-forever-and-don’t-have-to-worry-about-becoming-senile, my 86 years old grandmother would beg to differ. She would probably beat Felix with her flip flops and make him cry more than the day he was born.”

He grinned, humour at the expanse of his best friend and partner were past time he often enjoyed, peering as various sorts of emotions streaked past her countenance in a way he could only describe as something ‘human’. She looked up at him with a large, toothy grin and he found himself studying the imperfections carved out on her face. His first impression was that of an unremarkable, mediocre girl who, if not for Alec, would have been another faceless human he wouldn’t even have registered whether he passed by on the street or lifeless body amongst heaps of discarded food.

She ended their contact, looking down to the ground as she stepped on something spongy, letting out a scream and jumping back against his chest. He shot down to see what had her so frighten, his eyes landing on a small toad where her foot had landed and blinked.

Jessica let out a disgusted choke, backing away to a considerable distance, “EUGH! EWW!”

“You’re afraid of.. a toad?”

“I have trypophobia! I don’t know why but my mind makes this crazy link between that and the frog and just hell to the no!” Jessica exclaimed, vigorously rubbing the goose bumps raised on her arms.

“And you’re not afraid of vampires?!” He grinned.

“Not as much as that toad over there!” Jessica turned to walk the other side, not waiting for him to follow.

With speed her naked eyes couldn’t register, he was by her side, chuckling at her misfortune and resuming their leisurely pace.

“I think you’d make a lovely vampire.” He commented, “And I’m curious as to what kind of gift you may develop, if you were to have one.”

“I don’t think I’d make a great vampire.” Jessica shook her head, “I’d make a horrible one.”

“I never imagined I’d become a vampire – I never could fathom such thing even existed as human. You would never know unless you try.” He revealed.

“How did you become a vampire?”

“During one of my many hunting, my creator was impressed by my tracking skill and turned me, believing I’d make a great tracker as a vampire. He was right.”

“Was it painful?” Jessica asked, morbidly curious, “Becoming a vampire?”

“It’s the only pain that is forever etched in my mind.”

Well, the more she hears about being a vampire, the less appealing that choice seemed to be.

“Um..more than Jane’s?”

He paused, face contorted with thought, “Good question, no one had yet to ask which is worse – although neither would be considered more preferable over the other. But the sensation is similar, but I reckon Jane may do worse.”

Jessica allowed the word sink in, remembering that violent burning pain that spread through her nervous system and how any more than that would mostly likely unhinge her mind from the overloading of her pain tolerance more than her brain could ever compartmentalise.

“Do you remember when you were a human?” Jessica ventured, peering at him under her lashes.

Demetri didn’t reply straight away, waiting few minutes to curtly answer, “No.”

“Not even your family? Friends? Anyone?”

“The dead are easily forgotten and left behind.” He was tense now; his body lean and hard as a blade of a sword seemed to sharpen even more and made him more dangerous.

“Right..because the living have to live on.” Jessica muttered somewhat bitterly. That had been what people had said to her at her grandfather’s funeral, when she was just eight just few years after she moved to Forks and found herself back in Nevada and had been inconsolable. Mourning should have been natural thing to do – especially for a child who had just lost her beloved grandfather all the while inuring moving to a strange, little town and struggling to fit and adapt. She wasn’t just crying because her grandfather died, it felt as though everything seemed to fall apart and nothing seemed to be going the way she wanted it to go. Because ‘Life doesn’t go your way as you live, what can you do?’ they said.

She exhaled, emptying out all the air in her lung as she looked up at the sky and clenched her eyes shut for a moment. Jessica opened her eyes, counting the stars embedded in the darkly cloaked sky, “I rather be senile then. Being a vampire doesn’t sound too awesome as people make it out to be.”

“Your friend would beg to differ.” He revealed much to her surprise. “So do Gianna. Whether you live 80 years or 100 years, there’s no person that would say life is long enough. Everyone says it feels as short as taking a nap.” He paused then continued, “There’s no one who wants to grow old and die. It’s a terrible thing isn’t it? Young, old, the good or the bad, it’s always the same. Death is rather fair in its treatment. There's no such thing as a particularly terrible death, that's why it's frightening. Your behaviour and age, your personality, your wealth, beauty, your personal beliefs; all the things that add up to make us who we are, they only matter while we're alive. Death makes every last one of them null and void. So any death is terrible.”

“Is that one of the teachings from your global religious studies?” Jessica asked curiously.

He smiled, “Yes and no.”

“Well,” Jessica shrugged, “I think death is not that frightening. I mean don’t you think it’s futile to live in fear of death? Everyone’s going to die sometime so is there any point in pretending not to see it for the present? The thing I’m really afraid of is making a wrong decision while I’m alive and hurting innocent people.”

Jessica came to a stop at the entrance to the castle. The place where everything has started.

“Benjamin P. Hardy once said. ‘If time is relative, we don’t need to assume one minute means one minute. Perhaps five minutes could be squeezed into one minute, or five hours, or five years. The compression of time is not a matter of compounding activities, but the compounding of meaning’, so I try not to get too hung up on how much time I have.” Jessica expressed with a sad smile, the underlining knowledge that she may not get out of this situation alive, be it a vampire or eroded mass discarded into the sewage spoke between the two.

Demetri met her gaze and for the first time, she wasn’t afraid of red anymore. There was an eerie beauty in it that she hadn’t notice before, an alluring pull that tugged her deeper into him as saw herself reflected in the pool of blood.

His hand reached up toward her and she stood her ground, wondering and curious. His finger came to tilt her chin up, his thumb briefly caressing her jawline, “Pity.” He said, “I would have liked that you become a vampire.”

“Vampire life probably isn’t for me.”

“I stand by what I said before. You would have made a lovely vampire. Better than Edward’s human.”

_Bella. A vampire. I fear for Earth what her clumsiness as a vampire would do._

* * *

“Hey Gianna, do you think you’d make a good vampire?”

Gianna looked up from typing up an email to the Volturi’s accountant regarding the monthly expanse. It made Jessica laugh when she heard about the satellite branches scattered all over the world – the irony of an ancient vampire coven not being exempt from such a humanely task like tax returns and pay roll was just so hysterical. From what Giannna had revealed, the Volturi, on the front, was a very old, mysterious ancient family residing in Italy who owed majority part of the town and had been involved in dealing with rare, priceless arts – many of the names which she recognised were still hanging on the famous museums in Paris and London, were loans given to the curators in good faith.

It turned out the Volturi was rich. Filthy, dirty rich, it seemed. After all, flying out private jets and funding around fifty people’s trip expenses three to four times a week wasn’t cheap. Gianna explained the ‘victims’ were made sure to be brought from all sides of the world, never more than two from the same country or states and there were stringent criteria that had to be met before they were ever contacted, a task that is given – much to Jessica’s shock – highly skilled, human investigators with access to people’s database. Orphans, widows, homeless, those without family or friends – the types of people who would be ghost in the system, who would not be missed and most likely to be forgotten without anyone remembering they were even there in the first place. It was sad enough for anyone to be isolated and neglected, but to be targeted as food and discarded to organic lump.

The secretary looked up from the computer, blinking, “Huh?”

“Do you think you’d make a good vampire?”

Her frown deepened, brows upturned as Gianna looked at her as if to say ‘are you high?’, “Huh?”

“I meant do you think–“

“I heard what you said, twice,” Gianna interjected, the rhythmic clicking away in the background, “But what kind of question is that?!”

“I mean you said you were going to be a vampire right?”

The clicking stopped, Gianna’s eyes glued onto the computer screen and her whole body still. Minutes later, her fingers resumed typing, clicking send with the mouse and sipped her coffee.

“As long as I do my job, there won’t be any problems.”

Jessica slowly straightened from the chair, eyes narrowing, “..A-are you saying there’s a chance..that you won’t be..?”

“I’ll become a vampire.” She affirmed firmly, “When the time comes, they’ll turn me.”

Jessica felt her lips thin, biting the inside of her cheek from spitting out something that would ruin whatever friendship blossomed between them.

“Well, do you think you’d be a good vampire?” Jessica decided to restart again.

“What do you mean good? Good as in hero-good or..?”

“Uh, good as in you’d be better at being a vampire than a human?”

“Yes.” Gianna confidently replied with a smile, “You know how you sometimes feel empty in your life even though you have everything you want and need, for me, that emptiness is being human. I think I’d adjust to vampire life quite well.”

Jessica nodded, their conversation reaching to an end. Gianna began to write something else and Jessica was left free to allow her mind to wander.

“Oh!” Gianna suddenly cried, “Before I forget..” She rummaged through one of the table drawer and pulled out a SIM card, large, rectangular box and slid it across to her, “Your phone, I keep forgetting about it. The SIM card is to replace the one that was damaged – it’s same number, same name and address.”

“Oh thanks, it’s fine.” Jessica shyly accepted, reading the cover as she realised with a gasp, “This is the latest one! But my one was really old!”

Her phone had been her fourteenth present. It had always been her dream to have an iPhone, saving up her allowances to buy it only to realise thirty dollars a week would take years but on the day of her birthday morning, she found a wrapped gift on her bed and lo and behold, it was her dream phone. It wasn’t cheap, she knew it, and it was a luxury more than her parents could afford to spend.

She wistfully stared at the box, opening to pull out the glistening, rose gold phone that shone back at her.

“Don’t worry about it, I should have gotten you the phone more earlier than you coming up here to make phone calls each day.”

“It beats just lying around in the room all day.”

“How is it living with vampires?” Gianna grinned excitedly, urging her to spill the beans.

Jessica hummed in thought, “Have you seen Planet Eart II, the one with Iguana VS Snakes?”

“Oh, the one that just hatched and had to run for his life from group of snakes.”

Jessica nodded, “It was the most stressful and anxious moment in my life.”

“Same!”

“Yeah only I’m that iguana and they are the snakes.”

“Oh…”

* * *

**_Bella_ ** _: Are you alive?_

**_Jess_ ** _: Duh, how do you think I’m texting you then? Just in my room._

**_Bella_ ** _: I mean..are you still human?_

**_Jess_ ** _: *Picture sent*_

Jessica sent her a goofy, close-up selfie, sticking out her tongue while making sure her eye colours showed its usual dark blue colour.

**_Bella_ ** _: Jess, why do you not want us to come and get you? You didn’t even call me for few days other than a voicemail that I or Edward shouldn’t come and get you. Are you alright? Did Jane hurt you?_

Her brows shot up as she read the last line of the message. _What? How did Bella know?_

_Jess: How did you know Jane hurt me?_

The phone vibrated, screen changed to incoming call as she clicked accept and put it against her ear.

“Bella, that’s freaky, how the hell did you know about what happened with Jane?”

_“Would you believe if I said..Alice can see the future?”_

“Yeah,” She nodded amusingly, “After all I’ve been through, that’s probably the least surprising fact. I knew Alice was hiding something when she guessed last year’s Met Gala theme four months before it was announced publically and what we needed to study on Mr T’s.”

_“You said she was working for Met Gala and we only had two subjects to study for Mr T.”_

“How was I supposed to know she had gift of seeing future?! Besides, Mr T likes to throw in the most randomest question to throw us off.”

 _“Well,”_ Bella sighed exasperatedly, impatience laced in her voice, _“Are you going to tell me why you don’t want us to come and get you?_ ” Then her voice dropped, almost becoming quiet and there was a note of quaver that only came out when she was worried and upset like the time when she told her Edward broke up with her and the Cullens suddenly decided to move away, _“I’m worried about what will happen to you..I don’t trust them, Jess, I don’t want to lose you.”_

“Hey, hey, it’s going to be fine, Bella.” Jessica bit down on her lip to steady the trembling seizing her vocal cord, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, “I’ll be fine, I don’t want to involve you or Edward or Dr Cullen more than I already have because of stupid decision of mine. So promise me, o-okay? Just not now. I’ll try to find a way.”

Bella sniffled _, “I’m here for you, Jess, Edward and Dr Cullens won’t mind it.”_

“I know–”

_“J-just remember that you can always ask for my help, okay. If you’re having a hard time, promise me, you’ll ask me for help instead of keeping it to yourself and hurting yourself. I know you tried to be there for me when Edward was gone and I just shut you out and you gave me the space I needed..because I think you’re like that too. You don’t like to bother others and keep everything to yourself and even if people want to be nice, they don’t know how. So if you need help, just say you need help.”_

An eight year old Jessica stood in front of the closed casket, her little face reflecting on the polished oak wood.

“Because you had the same face.” She muttered in daze, mind wandering through the old memory, “When I first saw you and then after Edward left. A face not knowing what to do when it’s just too hard to bear. And wished you’d at least scream or something than torturing yourself.”

_“Just promise me.”_

“I promise.”

_“..So…how is it over there?”_

Jessica sniffed, a small smile spreading across her face, “I guess I’m doing okay. Still alive yay(!) How about you?”

“Same as always. Mr T wants 5000 words on ‘The claim that all actions are really self-interested can be given two possible interpretations. One is true but boring; the other is interesting but false.’ I don’t know why I chose philosophy.”

“Because Edward likes it, remember?”

_“Oh, yeah..uh, Jess, this might be a personal question..”_

“What is it?”

_“Eh-hem, uh, what’s-well-uh-your relationship with Alec?”_

Jessica’s eyes widened, dreading as to where this was going, “Bella, what you are saying?”

_“Uh..what I’m suggesting is..there’s nothing going between you guys right?”_

“Bella, are you drunk?”

_“Jess, I’m not-I’m just–”_

“There’s **nothing** between us.” Emphasising nothing to leave no room for any doubt, “That’s just weird. Okay, he’s like fifteen or sixteen or whatever his age may be–just no.”

_“Okay, just tell me if anything happens yeah?”_

“Yes, mum, I’ll make sure to let you know if I get a vampire boyfriend.”

_“Jess, I’m serious, just let me know if something happens, okay? I’ve got to go. Talk to you later.”_

“‘Kay, Bella.” Jessica let out a sigh, sliding down the headboard she was leaning against to her back. Tracing at the gold bowed wreath ceiling, rich with relief and painting, her thought began to stray once again and Jessica Stanley found herself drowning in the darkness of her mind. 


	12. Chapter XII:  Rose’s Melancholy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put original version of Pandora (chapter 1-18) on Dropbox (as PDF). Dropbox has two options you can choose from: with reviews replies or without.
> 
> Dropbox links are in my TUMBLR ACCOUNT: sunset-wishes-upon-hill

 

She remembered her mother reading her ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as a child; how Belle’s father was so enchanted by the garden that he spied a single perfect white rose among the others and dared to pick it for his waiting daughter in the cottage – only to hear the booming roar of the beast, raged an intruder had stolen his way into this secret garden. Maybe she should have asked Gianna if it was alright to enter this beautiful garden, to admire these extinct flowers that were just as dangerous as the dazzling colours they oozed.

A petal fell to the ground.

Her convulsing body sprawled on the grass.

Ringing in her ears.

Someone was shouting but the voice was distorted, fuzzy.

Her sight blurred, fuming Jane melting into lines of waving colours of black and gold and wild crimson.

Then nothing.

Her chest heaved with short, gasping breath and cheeks wet with hot tears.

“Stop.” She heard someone say, “Sister, stop.”

“You’re defending her!” Jane’s tone was accusing, scathing. Hurt.

“You’re killing her.”

“She dared to enter my garden!”

Alec simply pulled her into an embrace, muttering comforting words to her ear too low for a human ear to register. She melted in his arms, fury dissipating as his hand stroked her head like a mother calming down an angry child. He was used to this. Consoling her. Calming her down. Protecting her.

She felt her lids drop, forced into dreamless, restless oblivion.

Second petal fluttered down next to her nose.

* * *

Numbing. That’s all she could feel. Like her body was sinking deep into the ocean of bewusstseinslage, crushed by the wave and its pressure that the only thing she could do was let it consume her. Sinking and sinking as the light above the water slowly dimming.

Then she’s pulled out of the water, senses flooding back and her eyes snapped open in shock just in enough time to see the shimmery mist retreating back into his hand.

His lips slightly parted, slack jawed as though he’s on the fringe of forming a speech but his lips hardened into grim line, unable to find words to say.

“How’s your sister?” Jessica asked after a long moment.

“She has calmed down.”

“I-is..she still angry?”

“Yes.”

Jessica turned her head back toward the ceiling, “I didn’t meant to offend her – I should have known better than to go there without her permission.”

“I should have warned you beforehand.”

“It should have been a common sense without someone warning me.” Jessica answered, “I’ll apologise when I see her next time.”

“My sister nearly killed you.” Alec frowned, “Are you not– do you not hate her?”

“I have healthy fear of her but hate? That’s a bit..harsh.” She grimaced.

“Many have found reason for less.” The sad bitterness in his voice ringed in her ears.

“I don’t hate your sister if that’s what you’re worried about.” Jessica iterated, reading into his fear that he tried to conceal.

“I have no reason to worry.”

Jessica gave a pointed look, a brow raised at his continuous effort to feign nonchalance at – what she thought – normal concern for a family member. What reason would there be to hide from her?

“Alec,” She heaved herself up, bringing his attention to her, “Did I ever mention how you and your sister’s gifts are just like the person you are, Alec. You don’t seem to care about many things; you’re calm and often careless toward the world, you only care about your duties and your sister, but you haven’t got other values. That much I know so I don’t really see the point of you lying to me about how you feel.”

“Don’t presume to know me.” His face was taut and stern, eyes hardening with warning and she saw the mist materialise around him, instinctually prepared to attack before she could realise what was happening.

“I’m sorry if I made you angry,” Jessica said wearily, “But I don’t lie to you about how I feel and the least thing you can do is at least be more honest!”

“What truth would you like to hear?” His voice was harsh and vicious now, a sort of tone that she had never heard from him and could ever imagine capable of composing such sound with the angelic beauty he possessed, yet in that moment, in the vivid anger contorted on his expression she saw Jane and Caius’s cruel streak merge with him, “That there is nothing more I would like than to rip apart your neck and drink until there’s not a drop of blood left or that I deeply regret sparing your life when I had the chance to end it and disencumber myself.”

Her hand rose to touch the side of her neck unconsciously and felt the following of his eyes skimming the thin, delicate skin casing her arteries. Jessica felt a sudden impulse to back away from the vampire with much physical distance and obstruction as possible as she saw the bulb in his neck bob as he swallowed down the venom watering in his mouth at the robust sound of pulsating veins that quickened under his gaze. What a lovely image of a feast, ready and ripe, just for him.

He stepped closer to her, unmoving and still, focusing on her shallow breaths and throbbing of her blood that sung to him. _Drink me._

She felt her shoulder gently pushed down until she felt the silky sheet beneath her back, eyes wide and rimmed with tears, the ceiling she memorised blurred until she couldn’t imagine the patterns anymore. Her mind reduced to white, fuzzy blank.

Then the gold bled into crimson; pale skin, thin lips and a face of an angel with the devil’s eyes. His breath was cool and sickly sweet, mingling with her warm ones and she realised just how close their faces were. The startling contrast between warm and cold had never been more pronounced than it is now.

“..Alec?”

His eyes shifted its attention from her neck to her and whatever words that were forming on the tip of her tongue was lost in those orbs. She felt him lean in, _No…_ then he ripped himself off of her, darting to the end of the room and the heaviness was lifted from her and let out a shaking breath she didn’t realise she was holding. She heard him hastily retreating out of the room.

Her tears cleared up enough for her to trace the pattern in the ceiling.

_Coming to Volterra was just a fucking bad idea._

* * *

She had been in midst of 12-hours long ‘blissful deep relaxation’ she found on YouTube when Demetri decided to make his entrance unannounced. Imagine her surprise when she opened her eyes, finally achieving some semblance of serenity she desperately sought shatter when she found herself staring into same bright crimson eyes. Jessica let out a shriek, jerking away from him and felt the back of her head hit a hard wooden post stars dancing in her sight.

“Apologies if I frightened you.” Demetri said with unrepentant smile, finding her reaction all too amusing although his words went unheard, panicking as her palm quickly touched the injury to make sure there was no red smearing crossed it.

Jessica sighed in relief, chest heaving up and down with each shallow breath she inhaled and exhaled. Demetri frowned as he registered the panic stricken expression, the agitation coursing through her veins.  

“What are you doing here?”

“Is it because of Jane?”

Jessica feigned a brave face, biting the inside of her cheeks to keep her face passive, “No.”

“You are horrible at lying. You should practice more.” He commented.

“It’s not because of Jane.” She said with conviction, this time more confident of her answer but backtracked. “Wait-how did you know about what happened with Jane?”

“Intuition.” He simply said much to her disbelief.

Great, she was the gossip of the centuries.

“Then is it about Alec?”

She froze and it was all he needed to know, “Did he hurt you?”

“Why do you care?” Jessica retorted with unnecessary spite, the same kind she saw Lauren used when someone was irritating her and wanted to end the conversation.

Normally, they’d get the idea then sheepishly scratch their head while muttering sorry and hastily going about their ways. But him. He just grinned as though she just said something funny and her frown carved deeper. She met his stare; there was something about his eyes, the colour, that just lured her in – get lost in it, drown in it. Then she’d wonder – would her blood be as bright as that? Or dark as his eyes sometime seems to be in certain lighting and angles? Everything about them was colourless and dark and blanched except those crimson eyes of theirs’. Even their unearthly beauty, was overshadowed by those gazes.

“What?” She demanded with scathing tone she was not in the mood for his play.

His lips twitched as though it wanted to say something but he simply tilted his head and regarded her in a way that caused her neck to flush.

“Would it be odd if I find you..joyful to have around.”

“Yes.” Jessica intoned, fully aware the joy he found in her was nothing more than one would feel to a new plaything, “In fact, that would make you a shitty person. I’m not someone’s toy.”

He grinned at her answer, nodding his head as though he expected nothing less from her to his response.

“Alec won’t turn you.” A pause, “But I’d be more than willing.” Then added as an afterthought, “If you so desire.”

“I thought vampires rarely turned humans; not many are worthy.” She challenged, remembering his caution when they first met.

“I find you worthy.”

“Will your masters think the same?” Jessica implored, hoping she could get an understanding on how their coven worked.

“Master Aro would gladly allow me.”

“How about Master Caius?”

“Master Caius detests humans. If you are turned, he will not find you a problem.”

So he only hates her because she’s human? Because she’s human who knows their secret?

“How about your other master?”

“Master Marcus?” He raised a brow, as though he found her consideration of Marcus surprising, “He simply does not care.”

So you have one leader who is apathetic and detached, another obsessed with the punitive side of the governing, and Aro, the coven’s core decision making force. Two figureheads and a true head of state masquerading as three kings ruling jointly. Not too different from human politic, she thought.

She felt him lean toward her, close enough for her to take a whiff of his pleasant scent and to appreciate his delicate features.

“All you need is to ask.”

Oh he was good. So so good. She reckoned had she knew any better, she’d say yes without hesitance and jump into his embrace but the cold V-shaped necklace humming in her pocket and the phone she was gripping in her hand halted her from making any rash decision.

“Why me? I’m not that special. Gianna has more chance to be turned than me. Why would you choose me?”

His eyes softened, losing that sharp seductive gaze as he slowly retreated back, “You do not want to be turned.”

“So this is what it’s all about? Because I don’t want to be turned? Some reverse-psychology thing? A challenge to see how much convincing I need before I say yes?” She wasn’t angry but she didn’t feel particularly happy that she was considered a mere challenge to be achieved.

“I find that aspect of you fascinating.” He said with a small smile, “I admire it. I do not see you as a mere challenge, that would be insulting of my respect toward you.”

Jessica knew she was blushing, the sudden hot flush in her cheeks was telling and obvious that he probably could see it but her nonchalant expression didn’t change.

“Well, I take back saying you’re a shitty person then.”

“Thank you.” He said sincerely.

“So what brings you here?”

“I’ve heard what had happened with Jane. I needed to see if you were okay.”

She returned his worry with a small thankful smile, “I’m fine now. I think I’ll manage with any pain after that.”

“I thought you’d have died. You could have died.” His voice lowered with a tinge of something akin to fear underlining the tone.

“I’m not. Dead I mean.” She shrugged nervously, “I mean if I did die, at least everything would return to normal as before.”

His stare lingered at the door for a minute before meeting her eyes, “And if I preferred you alive?”

Jessica tuned her gaze into her fingers like they were more interesting than the vampire who was basically flirting with her, picking at a hangnail on her left thumb before reminding herself that maltreating her poor skin won’t do anything and rested it on her knees, painfully trying to form a neutral, almost passive answer to his suggestive question.

“You can’t have everything in life.” That saying was her grandmother’s favourite say when life became difficult or unfair and as tacky as it was, the words had always given her some comfort and kept her grounded, one of many lessons her grandmother taught her before her passing and for that, she was forever grateful.

“I can.” He confidently replied and Jessica couldn’t help but think he could, if he wanted. He seemed like the type of person who went after what he wanted and that confident swagger seemed to evince he had never failed in his conquests.

“Good for you.”

“You are very difficult.”

Jessica let out a huff of a smile, “Wow, uh. I’ve heard that a lot when I was young. Not much now though. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They fell into silence

He stood up, heading for the door as he seemed to understand the awkwardness shared between them was making her uncomfortable.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Although she couldn’t see his face, the subtle lift of his cheek whispered of his smile, “I’m not.”

“Welcome back.” She said with a smile.

It was then he looked at her with that same stare that made heat rush up from her neck to cheeks and even though everything about him seemed as hard as steel, those same crimson eyes held a sort of tenderness she (oh no) kind of liked.

Jessica let out a keening groan after Demetri had left, the calm guided meditation voice fruitlessly playing in the background as she took out the V pendant necklace, the red ruby staring mockingly at her before letting her neck hung to stare at the ceiling, praying whoever was up there for mercy.

* * *

He liked arts. Jessica found out later that day. She needed to get out of that castle, away from Alec, away from Demetri, away from Jane.

There was a radiating sense of calm about sitting on a bench alone in the middle of the gallery, surrounded by resultant collection of sculpture, ceramics, prints and paintings and echoes of overlapping murmurs than sentence herself in complete silence. But that day, there were very few people, adding a more air of eeriness to these thousands of years old Roman style buildings with grand Greek Revival façade entrance. There were total of four wings, each categorised to their respective timeline and era with its own distinct design suited to what it housed with labyrinth-like hallways connecting the four house together that a left or right turn would welcome her to different departments of lost kingdoms in their raw, fallen glory.

Very little people visited there at night after six and it was less busy during beginning and extending to midweek that it was more likely for her to find herself alone amongst comprehensive collections of antiquities and occasionally one or two other people in the room with her and she preferred to avoid the chock-a-block.

Lone and exuding an air of someone unapproachable, he sat by the marble bench in the centre that allowed the viewer unobstructed 360 degree landscape of the room. Jessica nearly collapsed if not for the column beside her, although not as much from fear than it was from shock to see him out of all vampires she could imagine in this kind of place that was as public and bustling with humans as it could get.

Holy–

The cruel vampire turned to face her, allowing her to catch the violet coloured eyes as it narrowed in glare and lips slightly bared back in disgust. For a moment, she was sure he’d attack her like he had; cold, stone-like grip around her neck. Breath hitched in memory.

He only acknowledged her for a second before turning back to the large canvas hung in front of him in wordless assurance that her death – most likely painful and hopefully swift – will not be today.

So does she play blind and turn back to where she had come from, go about her way?

Jessica wondered what artwork captured his attention and shifted her attention to the frame.

 _Deposition_ by Rosso Fiorentino.

The removing of crucified Christ from the cross as men and women wept by his feet painted upon a sombre, barren landscape. A maelstrom of grief and violent suffering so common in religious works, it was something she could see him appreciate.

“Were you there?” She couldn’t help but wonder. Thousands of works has been made and written and drawn to depict the most famous execution of all time yet nothing was ever certain what it would have been like at the actual happening without a present witness to come forth.

“I do not like to be disturbed.” He snarled, ignoring her.

She waited by the entrance, waiting for a chance to ask the ever so bubbling questions she had for the ancient vampire.

“I.well I’m just curious, I study philosophy and I want to major that in university but lots of people says it’s a useless degree to have.”

It was then he decided to glance at her, a neutral expression this time, “And why bother telling me all this?”

“Just trying to make conversation.” She shrugged.

“Don’t.” She hadn’t notice he was gone until he reappeared behind her, striding out of the room, his long, dark shoulder draped coat fluttering around him.

“Well let me ask you one question then: why do you hate humans if you were one before?!”

He halted in his steps and the slight movement of his head toward his shoulder suggested he was eyeing her although from her view his face was shielded by his hair, “Hate? When humans see pigs and cows, they just see pigs and cows. It’s hard to pick out a better looking pig or a better looking cow. It is the same for me. In my eyes humans are the same.”

Perhaps she misjudged his view toward her kind. Rather than hate, it seemed more of indifference and the fact Aro seemed so carefree about her knowing the existence of them, going against his advice and the laws they created. She was everything he stood against.

Well at least it wasn’t personal.

“Hey, wait up!” Jessica called after, running to the direction he had disappeared to. It was night and she rather avoid the drama she had with the drunk man last time, what’s more safe than have a vampire with you who could see well in the dark and had superpowers, even with his distaste for her.


	13. Chapter XIII: Ruin Your Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put original version of Pandora (chapter 1-18) on Dropbox (as PDF). Dropbox has two options you can choose from: with reviews replies or without.
> 
> Dropbox links are in my TUMBLR ACCOUNT: sunset-wishes-upon-hill
> 
> On my Tumblr, simply search 'PDF' OR Click Story Link on the sidebar.
> 
> If you want daily update on Pandora story, please visit my TUMBLR:   
> sunset-wishes-upon-hill
> 
> I have been giving daily word counts for chapter 14. I’ve managed to write from 0 to 5000 words in three days. Expect another update next week!

 

Vampires preferred to stay within the throne room most of the time, she observed, and not much seemed to go on in their eternal lives other than awaiting their daily meals brought in by Heidi – the only thing they look forward to with as much of enthusiasm depressingly bored vampires could gather. Even humans found it arduous to bear the boredom of repetitive, mundane day; she couldn’t fathom how torturous it must be for vampires whose time was frozen forever in their world.  

For most humans, boredom was a passing, nearly trivial feeling that lifted as soon as your turn arrived, a task was completed or a lecture ended.

 _At least, it’ll be over for me someday. But them…_ A small part of her felt pity for them; boredom rotted the mind and drove one to the brink of insanity. She wouldn’t be surprised if most vampires – if not all – were a little mad.

 _Insane vampires. That’d makes **so** much more sense actually_. Jessica mused.

Often, the leaders disappeared into the far-away, isolated turret strictly prohibited for anyone to wander, including Gianna, barring for very few others who were permitted by the leaders themselves. Gianna called it the ‘Wives tower’, a residing place for the leaders’ wives that even she had yet to see their faces despite the two years working for them. They were women shrouded in veils of mystery and it piqued her interest about them; what kind of people would they be? How would they look like? Even though she knew they would be beautiful just like their husbands, it still surprised her to find out they had wives. Even Marcus. Even Caius. She won’t deny she nearly fell off her chair when she heard Caius had a wife. He didn’t seem like the type to need anyone.

Her room had no clock nor in any parts of the castle. Time did not exist here and every now and then, she would find herself unmoored in their world.

18:59. Minutes changed to zeroes on her phone, hours turned to seven.

Seven in the evening. It was nearly dinner time. Theirs’.

Just like their changeless world, their meal time followed a strict, fixed schedule: twice a day, early morning and early afternoon. Seven in the morning and seven at night. Every time at those hours, she was reminded of the faces she had passed at the beginning; the old and the young, men and women, some her fathers’ age, some her mother’s age, others her age; blindly following their executor disguised as dreamy, romance scam like herd of lambs.

One day, she made a mistake of being out in the reception with Gianna at around the time of their evening meal, having forgotten to carefully track the time and feebly watching as tourists smiled and chatted away whilst being dragged into the slaughterhouse. It felt as though she had assigned herself as their accomplice. They never came out of that darkness again. Yet she could hear those screams. The screaming of the lambs.

Gianna, the perfect vampires’ secretary and human face of the Volturi, greeted them warmly with a genial smile. How longer, how much one must witness such transgression against one’s kind before they become desensitised?

“I threw up the first time,” Gianna mentioned in blasé tone one would use to blather trifling matter. “You’ll get used to it.”

Jessica wordlessly agreed, humans adapted; that’s how they survived this long. Yet there was a line she was unwilling to cross and that was becoming phlegmatic toward any atrocities; to be corrupted and shaped into an apathetic onlooker to tragic loss of lives. Yet like the coward she was, locked herself away during those hours and far away from the feeding hall as guilt and fear gnawed at her conscience, tormenting her with their cries and wails. Their accusing eyes full of blame and loathing at _her_.

Almost every day, she dreamt of those screeching. Hers’. Bursting out from her throat as a cold hand exploded out of her chest in a cloud of viscera. In her dream, Jessica was an oblivious, naïve girl who knew nothing about vampires. Mesmerised by their tour guide’s beauty, she would huddle along with other tourists, excitedly taking pictures of the grand, timeless castle until they were all ushered into a white marble throne hall. Strange but frighteningly beautiful people were in there with glowing red eyes dressed in various tone of dark black and grey clothing.

Sometimes she was the first to die. Other time she was the last to die.

Sometimes it was Alec who killed her.

Sometimes it was Demetri.

Sometimes it was Aro.

Sometimes it was Caius.

Other time it was Felix who sunk his fangless teeth into her neck. On rare occasion, it was Marcus.

Recently, it was Jane who was her tormentor. Unlike other vampires, she played with her victims before eating them. Jessica remembered writhing on the ground, crippled by the fire but the suffering in the dream was only a pale echo of the burning pain she felt in reality.

A day later after the incident in the garden, noticing hundreds of missed calls on her phone screen, Jessica made a call to Bella. Everyone was distressed, thinking she was dead but Jessica insisted she was fine and all right despite what Alice must have saw, sharing few dry banters with Alice about pros and cons of living with vampires.

The castle was freezing and the room was cold but warm if the fireplace was on.

Free food and stay. She loved the suite room she was staying because she’d probably have to sell her organs to afford one at the hotels.

Vampires have no social skills. Or humour.

Vampires were worse for her self-esteem than it was for her life.

They were the quietest neighbours you could ask for.

 _On the other hand, they were also the most dangerous neighbours you could ask for._ Jessica omitted this thought.

Before ending the phone call, she managed to speak with Dr. Cullen who was apprehensive about the potential effects Jane’s power could have on humans whose bodies were less tenacious than a vampire’s. He had seen humans’ mind shatter and breaths expire under Jane’s prolonged tortures. Icy chill ran through her spine as vision of staring into her own lifeless eyes passed by. A minute pause, Jessica contended she was perfectly fine. He didn’t seem to believe her.

That was also the first time she spoke to Esme. The matriarch vampire was a genuinely kind, warm and maternal woman to a fault who, like her husband, expressed her concern about her wellbeing. Esme reminded of her mother and how heavy the price of revealing the secret would be to her family’s safety that she had to feign a façade of Jessica Stanley who was blissfully ignorant about the vampire world. But with Esme, nothing held her back and she ended up uncontrollably sobbing over the phone for an hour, spilling out her fears, insecurities and remorse she felt for bringing Bella and Esme’s family into her mess. Yet Esme never faulted her once, patiently listening and soothing her guilt.

Later that day, Jessica pondered what Aro could be planning by trapping her here, constantly dangling the precarious standing of her humanity and fuelling Jane and Caius’ ire by such blatant disregard for the laws they stood for. Their laws were clear: any humans aware of vampires’ existence – fortunately for Giada’s case who remained tight-lipped about such information and may live to die an old age, and unfortunately for a foolish idiot like her that confronted one must either be killed or turned.

From Alec’s and Caius’ reaction, Bella was a special exception to this rule and Caius, especially, disliked this deviation. And now her.

Then there was this unconventional friendship between Aro and Dr. Cullen. She had never imagined Dr. Cullen would have befriended Aro. Having witnessed their short, momentary conversation with each other, they seemed to share a different type of close bond that Aro didn’t seemed to share with others from her brief observation with his ‘brothers’. The three leaders clearly relied on each other heavily and shared great, familial bond, but she suspected, lacked something which he seemed to have found within his friendship with Carlisle.

That friendship was one of few reasons why she was still alive _and_ human. So what could other reasons be? It simply did not make sense for Aro to risk such liability in the name of friendship with such bold, political move. They may not be human, but political system did not discriminate against species. As long as struggle for power exist, politics stayed the same, if not cognate.

Volturi were a powerful coven in the vampire world. The governing body maintaining order and constitution.

 _Think like a politician._ Jessica mused, _If I were Aro, having lived for thousands of years, seen and experienced all sort of things, what reason would I have to invite a human into my castle with privilege not given to other humans? Why let it be? Why not follow the rule? It’s simple: turn or kill. Bella is to be turned, that’s confirmed. But me? Why allow me to remain human for so long? Why am I undecided?_

What was considered true power to vampires who were equally supernaturally enhanced? How could one be considered more powerful than another? How was it measured?

 _Having all these powerfully gifted vampires must be nice._ Jessica contemplated. It was times like this she wished Alec was hereto take away all her senses and numb her from this migraine. And Demetri to track down this really nice pizza she had in Venice because nothing made her happier than food.

Gianna briefly mentioned in a passing by comment there were more than 30 members in the coven, most who possessed ‘gifts’ that set them apart from normal vamp–

Gift? Jane’s burning pain, Alec’s sensory deprivation, Demetri’s tracking, Aro’s mind reading, Felix..what could be his gift then?

 _I might not have much to go on,_ Jessica brooded, _But there’s a pattern._

She quickly dialled Bella; it was three in the afternoon in Forks so she should be in school. The call was picked up in its second dial tone and Bella’s hopeful voice crackled through the microphone,

_“Jessica?! Hello?”_

“Bella, are you able to speak? I just have few questions I want to ask you about vampires.”

_“Um yeah, sure.”_

“Is Edward there?”

_“No, he’s in class at right now; I’m waiting for him to finish. Why?”_

“Okay, so Edward has a gift right?”

_“Yeah, mind reading.”_

“And Alice also has a gift too.”

_“Yep. So do Jasper but Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle and Esme doesn’t. Apparently I might get one because Edward can’t read my mind.”_

“You have a gift?!” Jessica gasped, shocked by the new knowledge, “How come you are telling me this now?”

_“Well..it’s not something you tell to everyone..I can say this to you now because you know about everything.”_

_True.._ Jessica thought, _If she said that before all this shenanigans, I’d have called the mental hospital on her._

“Okay I’m gonna ask more questions about that later but is it common to have those kinds of gifts? I know you get all these strengths and resilience when anyone gets transformed into a vampire, but can anyone develop gifts like Edward and Alice?”

_“No. I don’t know much in detail but Edward said it’s really rare for someone to develop the gifts he or Alice has. When I and Alice went to Volturi to stop him from killing himself because he thought I died–”_

“Why the hell did Edward think you died?”

 _“Long story I’ll tell you later, anyway_ _Aro thought it was a waste of his ability and asked him and Alice to join the Volturi. He even wanted me to join as a vampire but we said no..why the sudden question?”_

“Because I think Aro is keeping me alive for another reason other than doing Carlisle a favour.”

_“..Everyone thinks so too. We have several theories on why but we are not too sure on any of them.”_

Jessica closed her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek, “I’m going to find it out.”

_“Jessica, don’t do anything stupid–”_

“I won’t, Bella, I’m not stupid like I’m the future valedictorian of our year. I’ll be careful. For Dr Cullen’s sake.”

_“What’s your plan than?”_

“A calculative and political move that won’t reveal my agenda to the opponent while I discover his motive. The Art of War style.”

 _“…”_ Bella let out a heavy sigh, _“So what **exactly** is that plan?”_

“I don’t know. I’m still thinking.”

_“He’s thousands and thousands of years old, Jess, and incredibly powerful and intelligent who could also read every thoughts and memories you have from a single touch. How will you beat that?”_

“Gee cut me some slack, Bella; don’t you think I need more than five minutes to come up with a great and effective plan several thousand year old vampire hasn’t seen before?” Jessica retorted, “If the stingy Mr T can give us two hours to plan a thousand word essay for his class, I’m sure you could spare me at least a day to do some proper planning!”

_“Why the hell did you choose Volterra out of all places?!”_

“I have no fucking clue and frankly, I’m having the biggest regret in my entire life. The record previously held by my decision to pursue a relationship with Mike. If I can, I will pack my bag and go to Antarctica. I’ll swim from Italy to the Southern ocean right now. To be fair, you could have given me a warning when I said I was leaving for Italy.”

_“You never said it would be Volterra. I thought you were heading for Rome.”_

Rome. That had been her actual destination of choosing. Had she stuck to her choice, her life wouldn’t have spiralled into a mess it was in. Her life would have been at a completely different point; shopping, sightseeing, drinking and enjoying her youth and what life has to offer; not stuck in this castle, enduring agonising nightly panic attacks and insomnias, surrounded by vampires who could decide she’d make a good night snack any time they wished.

Jessica sniffed before bawling out the ridiculous truth she had denied herself for a long time, “Because this woman I met on tour said hotels in Volterra was much cheaper than the city! If I meet that woman one day, I’ll fucking stab her with a spoon!”

_“..Cheaper hotels..that’s what made you choose Volterra?! Oh Jess!”_

“And you know what’s unfair, is that the hotels aren’t fucking cheap because they recently had an anti-vampire festival and prices are at its peak!” She didn’t care the vampires heard her cries which people often commented it resembled a yelling donkey.

 _“Jess, don’t stab that woman with a spoon! Hang on there, okay?”_ She could hear Bella’s voice trembling with tears.

Jessica managed to stop crying, wiping away the falling tears with the back of her sleeve, and composed herself. T _hank god I’m not wearing any makeup,_

“…I got to go. Thanks Bella..really.” Jessica wished she could take back all the nasty and backstabbing thoughts she had about Bella, really she did. About how envious and loathsome she was of Bella who was so lovingly embraced, loved and founded her place amongst Forks so easily compared to her.

_“It’s fine. Call me back soon.”_

“Okay, you hang up.”

_“No, you hang up.”_

“Seriously, you hang up. I’m busy wiping my tears.”

_“Talk soon, okay? Promise me you’ll call me soon.”_

“I will..bye.”

 _I’m a fucking bait_ , Jessica came to realise. Giada’s story about gifted vampires. Alice and Edward’s gift. Bella’s potential power. Everything seemed to make sense now. A storm of feeling swept over her: shock, confusion, disbelief, rage, helplessness and a terrible impotence.

It was half past nine by the time she checked her phone clock and emerged from her room, armoured to declare what would be a tiring, relentless war and set out to track Aro down. She could ask Demetri but she’d rather avoid him for now. Or anyone for now. Forever. The idea of swimming and settling down in Antarctica has never seemed as appealing as of now.   

It wasn’t difficult to track Aro down, Jessica came to realise, he rarely – probably never – left the castle, albeit when he wanted to be elusive, that man was damn hard to find. He tended to linger in his favourite places, either a library, throne room or at the Wives’ tower.

Just as she hoped, Aro was in the library seemingly searching for something within various books laid out on table in front of him along with Caius and Marcus. Demetri stood by his leaders’ side, tall and lean like the deadly sword of steel.

 _Sure, at times like this they gather around in groups._ She might as well wave her white flag now. But it was too late to back out.

“Aro!” Jessica shouted with a moment of confidence she gathered, stomped toward the said vampire who stood up from his seat with a smile and welcoming extend of his arms to greet her. Before he could mutter out his cheery acknowledgement, Jessica grabbed his hand closest to her, vice like grip with as much human strength as she could muster and proclaimed:

“I know what you’re trying to do and I’m not going to be a pawn in your game and I’m not going to play in it either! You’re enjoying playing with my life but I won’t let you win. I won’t let you have them. I won’t let you have the satisfaction.”

Without waiting for the stunned vampire’s reply, she backed away, chest heaving from the powerful proclamation before dashing out of the library that had fell into a heavy silent. As she rushed out of the door, Jessica thought she heard someone’s laughter, a deep amused rumbling.

She didn’t dare to look back.

* * *

 _'Cause I'm about to ruin your party_  
Ain't that how you like?  
Some chaos and heartbreak, you like to break mine  
'Cause I'm about to ruin your party  
I'm not even sorry  
Hope the cops pull up when I yell from your rooftop  
When I ruin your party

Monday was the slowest day for any bars which meant there were very few people drinking and your orders were more likely to be taken quickly. Luckily, they let her in without checking her ID, assuming by her beaten-down-by-life appearance that she was of legal age and in desperate need of hard-core drinking. Jessica waited for the bartender to finish serving up a lone man’s drink, who looked just as miserable, at the far left corner before calling her over.

“Can I get like five of the strongest shots you have?” She shouted above the music, making five with her fingers.

“You sure you can handle it?” The bartender, a young, brunette by the name of Sofia on her nametag, asked tinged with heavy accent.

“I just fucked up my life..don’t worry, I have high tolerance.”

“Oh.” Sofia nodded, wordlessly fixing up the five shots in small glasses, “I’ll take your payment later then, you look like you’re going to order more.”

Jessica cheered to that as Sofia walked back to another customer wanting another refill.

Two more shots later and happily moronic, Jessica took out her phone and pressed call to Bella. Sniffing back the tears, there was the tell-tale click indicating someone had picked up and Jessica broke down.

“Oh my God, I fucked it up! I’m so sorry! I know I promised I wouldn’t let you down and you know I can be impulsive most of the time, I fucked it up I’m really sorry gosh I’m such a bitch! I’m so stupid!”

There was a forbidding stillness on the line and for a minute, Jessica thought it hadn’t connected until the receiver spoke and she went cold.

 _“..Jess?”_ The voice on the line was soft and masculine and definitely not Bella.

The shock of realising that she had dialled the wrong number quickly sobered her, straightening up from the table she was laying on, “..Hello? Who’s this?”

_“It’s me, Mike, Jessica!”_

_Son of a–_

_“I’m sorry too Jess! We both made mistakes, please come–_

She hung up, nearly falling off the stool, her fingers frantically searching for the off button just as Mike flashed up on her screen.

 _I don't mind being alone_  
I'm a giant inside of these walls  
No, I never met one worth the fall  
So I'm not fucking with any at all

Tears were falling down her cheeks uncontrollably, cheeks red from intoxication and mortification. She had long forsaken any care she had for her appearance and without checking on the mirror, she knew her face was bloated like a blowfish, eyes puffed red and hairs tangled and messed up in I-just-escaped-from-a-mental-hospital look.

 _'Cause on the outside, I'm smiling like I've never been stung_  
But on the inside, I'm screaming at the top of my lungs  
You know I like to play it off, but don't pretend that I'm dumb  
That's why I run, that's why I run-run-run-run-run

Waving to Sofia, she shouted, “Sofia can I get another shot?!”

 _I'm not afraid of love, I'm terrified_  
It never feels like how they advertise  
It's got big teeth, it's got an appetite

 “Wait, is that you Jessica?” Cheery, falsetto voice called behind her.

_Now what?_

Jessica turned the stool around, confronting the familiar attractive, blonde girl with a dazzling straight-teethed grin adorning flattering dress and heels. Esther, like her, was alone without her friends this time.

“Hey, it’s me Esther? Remember?”

_Kill me now._

Jessica plastered a big, fake smile as though she was eager to see her and leaned in for a friendly hug, “Hey! So nice to see you!”

Why was it that when she was at her most ugliest and worst moment she encounters everyone and their dogs from long forgotten past and present?

“Are you drinking alone?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Bad day?” Esther mentioned pointedly with a smile, motioning her smudged, tear-stricken face.

“Yeah.” _What you can’t see?_

Esther slid into an empty stool next to her and Jessica suppressed the urge pull the stool out because she was not in a mood to entertain a stranger who was clearly in for a gossip.

“I’ll have the piña colada.” Esther ordered, sliding a twenty euro to the counter.

With the drink served, Esther turned her attention to Jessica who was barely resisting a very alluring temptation of ordering ten more shots so that she would have a feasible excuse to black out and not remember this was happening.

“So..is Alec still sad?”

“His hamster of two years died, what do you think?”

Esther shrugged, a tiny frown puckering on her groomed brows, “I mean, it’s just a hamster..how long does he need to mourn?”

“He’s a sensitive kid.”

“Kid? How old is he?”

“Fifteen.”

“Really?! But he doesn’t look fifteen.” Esther gasped in surprise.

_You and me both._

“He’s mature for his age.” Esther noted, sipping on the creamy cocktail.

_You have no idea._

“So how did you guys meet?”

“Family friend.” It wasn’t a complete lie but it wasn’t the whole truth either. She really wished Esther would drop the subject lest she say something incriminating under the influence, putting both their lives at unnecessary risk. _I’ll be damned if I actually fuck up my life because I was drunk-gossiping with some girl I met in a bar._

“Do you like him? Like like-like him.”

“No. He’s fifteen.”

“I’m seventeen, nearly eighteen in like six months.” Ah, fellow law breaker, “Two years of age difference isn’t that much. He’ll be a total heartbreaker when he’s older.”

Jessica snorted; simply because that reasoning was absolutely ridiculous since Alec would never grow older, just age.

“So what happened to you? No offence, but you look like fucked up Joker.”

Jessica bit down on her tongue to stop herself from unleashing profanity-filled diatribe and instead settling for a wide, agreeing smile, “I just drunk called my ex thinking it was a friend.”

“Shit. Bad break up?”

“I ran away. To here.”

Esther gaped, exhaling a shocked tittering, “Woah, oh my god, are you serious?! You ran away to Italy because of a break up?!”

“And I’ve been trying to avoid his calls and texts and needed to get drunk before I drunk called him.”

“You’re really living up to that biggest L goal aren’t you?”

“What about you? What are you doing in Italy?” Jessica asked, ignoring the jabbing comment.

“Just a three week holiday with my friends, nothing special. I’ve heard Italian guys were hot and I’m so glad I came here because I got to meet Alec.”

“Why Volterra? Rome is more popular.”

“Oh, well, cheaper hotels. Besides countryside is a bit more romantic but boring though.”

 _That stupid cheaper hotels thing!_ “Well, hotels aren’t cheap with the recent festivals and stuff.”

“Oh yeah, that Saint Marcus day right? Apparently this town used to be a vampire city or something and this guy named Marcus got rid of them. Interesting history but I think it suits the town with their gothic, Roman style buildings. Imagine walking through an alleyway and a vampire appears.”

Jessica nearly choked on her drink, breaking out into a fit of coughing as Esther handed her a tissue.

“Oh gosh, are you okay?”

“I-cough-I’m-cough-fine!”

“What? I think you need 911!”

“It’s fine.” Clearing her throat, Jessica waved her hand to contend she was all right. 

“You sure?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Jessica nodded.

“So..where are you and Alec staying? We should meet up and travel together.”

“Ha! I don’t think he’d stop grieving anytime soon!”

* * *

An hour later and few more rounds of drink at the small two person booth in the corner, their beginning awkwardness settled in to a more comfortable tone as Jessica and Esther broke out into fit of giggles over something someone said. Jessica couldn’t exactly remember who or what was said only it was funny and that was enough.

“I double dare you to one shot it without using your hands!”

“If I succeed?”

“I bet you can’t.”

“I can! Don’t underestimate my skills!”

“Fine, I’ll bet ten euros!”

“Fine! Half half!”

They each put ten euros into the middle of the table as Jessica positioned the shot glass in front of her, lowering her head to grab it between her teeth and tipped her head back as flood of bitter alcohol rushed down her throat.

She gagged, coughing back up the vodka to spurt toward poor Esther who was unfortunate to sit across her. Jessica wiped the vodka escaping out her nose.

“EWW!!”

Howling with laughter, Esther slid another shot of vodka, “Try again, this time aim for the ceiling!”

Jessica nodded, cocked the back the glass in her mouth and this time managed to succeed without shooting out the vodka through her mouth or nose, only her weight leaned too far back and the chair balanced precariously on the rear two legs before there was a snap and Jessica felt herself fall back with a gasp. She clenched her eyes shut, bearing for the pain to come.

Suddenly, the chair halted in mid-air meeting a powerful resistance against the momentum as it gently swung the chair forward, bringing its four legs back onto the stable ground. A long arm appeared over Jessica’s shoulder and felt a sturdy, sinewy body leaning down on her, almost like a wolf standing above its prey.

Jessica stared at Esther whose attention tuned into the person above her with unattractive gaping of her jaw, shot glass loosening in her fingers and spilling onto the table and her dress. It only took a small whiff of their scent for Jessica to realise who it was and cold dread trickled down her spine, body frozen like a deer caught in headlights.

His cold hand fluttered down her arm until it came to hover over hers’, not touching but almost like a feather grazing her skin. It made it impossible to ignore him and she could feel his exuding temperature mingling with her own.

“Jessica, I suggest you stop for today before you hurt yourself.”

“How about you mind your own business, Demetri?” Her usual inhibition saved for self-preservation had long wasted away thanks to the alcohol in her system resulting in this drunken man’s false confidence (or courage), whatever people called it.

Jessica slapped away his hand and pushed his chest back with her head, “Give me some space, dammit!”

She reached for another shot glass as Demetri caught her stretched wrist lightly. Drunk or sober, she was no match against a vampire’s strength even if he barely held her.

“Umm, Jessica, you wanna introduce me?” Esther smiled suggestively.

“Oh! Him?! He’s a stalker, the greatest stalker in the world.” Jessica giggled, “Say hello to Alec’s ‘brother!’”

“Oh yeah, I can see the resemblance. I’m Esther, nice to meet you Demetri.” Then turned to Jessica with anticipation, “Do all their family look like this?”

Jessica nodded.

“Gosh, their family’s genes are no joke! Tell me you have more brothers!”

“Pleasure to make acquaintance, Esther. I apologise for cutting our meeting short but I have been tasked to bring her back home.”

“It’s not my home!” Jessica affirmatively denied. _That castle is a damn prison._

 It wasn’t until she stood up and the whole world seemed to spin out of control did she realise she was more drunk than she had anticipated. Her stomach sunk then made turns and jumps as though she was on a wild roller coaster ride. She felt the acidic bile rising from her throat.

“I volunteer!” Esther stretched up her arm with glee. Compared to Jessica, she avoided drinking too much and anything she had tended to be on a lighter, ‘healthier’ side.

Esther was aware of this mysterious, handsome stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air but it was easy to be stealth in darkly lit, clamorous bars that made it exhausting for someone to focus on something other than alcohol. The man snaked his arm around Jessica’s waist, holding her weight effortlessly as he studied her face with passive expression.

“Jessica, come.” He ordered, lowering his lip to her ear. Esther could barely hear him over the music but few fragments of his sultry voice she had heard were enough to make her knees buckle.

 _Gosh that voice is the epitome of sex in a voice._ Esther thought, _How the hell did Jessica found a family like them?_

“I can walk on my own! Don’t touch me!” Jessica growled angrily, thwarting his arms from her and staggering out of the bar but not before taking the betting money in the table. “I won!”

“Yeah, you won,” _Yep, she’s gonna regret it in the morning._

Demetri gave her a curt nod before following Jessica out of the bar with graceful elegance that suggested the man was born into a cultured, upper family. Esther blinked, staring at the empty seat across her and the man that materialised and vanished like the wind, never lingering in one place for long.

 _I forgot to give him my number._ Esther groaned with regret.

* * *

Jessica knew he was there. Somewhere in the dark, closely trailing her with his eyes following even the tiniest movements of her fingertips but there were nothing to prove the shadow behind her. There was not even a whisper of clothes brushing against his movements.

She found a bench beneath a lamppost and decided to take a rest, slumping against the back with the languid of a lazy cat.

“This is all your fault.” She accused.

It was then the vampire made himself known to her, venturing into the harsh artificial light. She assumed artificial light worked differently than the sun to their skin; under the lamp, he was utterly transparent and smooth, as if he were carved from bleached ivory and his face was inanimate as a statue except for those two violet eyes gazing down at her.

He made a wistful smile and she noted the absence of grooves in his face as the facial muscles flexed. It reminded her of Lauren’s mother who came to pick Lauren up after one of her regular session of Botox injection and when she tried to smile or even make any expression, it ended up giving what was supposed to be a friendly smile a strange, slightly sinister curve. But his smile was natural and fluently done, perfectly balanced half-moon in width and curve.

“Why?” He asked gently, approaching until he was standing beside her and settled close to her.

It was also her fault; she was stupid to dig her own grave but there were a part of her that casted off some blame to Demetri, the very man who had dragged her into their world. Her arms shot out to grab him by the collar, giving good shakes as a testament of her strength to his surprise.

“I wish I haven’t met you!” Jessica cried, her eyes watering as hot tears fell, “If you haven’t..if you just didn’t take me to them, it could have been different! I’m so scared! I’m scared of you, of Alec, of Caius, of everyone in that castle! It’s that woman’s fault! She said there’d be cheaper hotels and it isn’t that cheap!”

Demetri could have avoided her clumsy attempt of seizing him and he was strong enough to free himself from her yet he remained, still. “You are wrong. If not me then someone else would have been sent to bring you in my stead.”

“Why you?”

“Jane asked me.”

“You do whatever she tells you?”

“Within reasons.”

Disheartened, her fingers slipped down his neck to his chest before limply returning back to her side, “Marcus is alright but Aro and Caius are just..so mean! Like the meanest person I thought existed in this world was Lauren but holy shit, they take the cake!” Jessica protested then added with panic, “Please don’t tell them I said that!”

“Promise.” He said.

“And now Alec is mad at me because Jane is mad at me and holy shit, I challenged Aro! I challenged thousands years old vampire! I’m going to die aren’t I?!”

He paused before asking, “Why is Alec mad at you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know why. He tried to eat me; I think he tried to kiss me? Crazy right? Yeah he was probably going to eat me but he didn’t. Great(!)”

“Do you like him?” Something in his face changed subtly.

“He’s fifteen.”

“Human age means little to us now.”

“Well it means a lot to me! Cuz _I’m_ human?!”

“How about me?”

Jessica blinked then looked up from the ground, confused, “Huh?”

“What do you think of me?”

“You seem like a good person, but you’re a shitty vampire. You kill people.”

His smile broadened as he sat down next to her, “An order is an order and a law is law. I have little say in that matter.”

“I know, I know. Like you can be a good person but a shitty human being.”

“I am old enough for you – in human age, how about me?”

“What about you?” Jessica frowned; her brain had shut down to stupor at her sixth shot to process any intelligible comprehension of the conversation.

“You are not afraid of me and I am interested in you. Would you be willing to reciprocate my attention?”

“Then can you get me something from Rome?”

“Anything you want.”

“Okay, so there’s this thing with red colours on the bottom and on top there’s different designs..” _Why was it that I always forgot the names of the food I want to eat when I’m drunk when I’m drunk?_

“How many do you want?”

She made wide arcs with her arms, grinning, “Like twenty boxes!”

“Anything else?”

Jessica shook her head, “Nope.”

Taking one of her hand in his grip and pulling it toward his face, he pressed his lips on her palm with a smile. “You’re mine now then.”

“Yup!”

* * *

 **A/N:** **If you want daily update on Pandora story progress, please visit my TUMBLR:**

**sunset-wishes-upon-hill**

**Song played in the bar (in order of appearance):**

**Sval – Ruin Your Party**

**Terror Jr- Terrified (I absolutely am in love with this band. If you’re into Kiiara/dreamy pop genre, check them out! I love all their songs but my absolute favourite are: Losers R Lovers, Loner, Caramel, A-OK, Terrible, Sugar, 3 Strikes and Useless)**

**Chapter 14 of Pandora will be released next week.**


	14. Sorrow, I am sorry. Please forgive me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put original version of Pandora (chapter 1-18) on Dropbox (as PDF). Dropbox has two options you can choose from: with reviews replies or without.
> 
> Dropbox links are in my TUMBLR ACCOUNT: sunset-wishes-upon-hill
> 
> On my Tumblr, simply search 'PDF' OR Click Story Link on the sidebar.

 

The delights—and pitfalls—of drinking was that it allowed people to cast off the shackles of inhibition.

Jessica Stanley awoke in the familiar Roman style bathroom, lying in the large, marbled concrete bathtub. Gianna mentioned this was one of two rooms in the castle that still had a working plumbing system and to Jessica’s relief situated close to the secretary room and entrance to the castle. The vampires resided in the center and far corners of the castle, offering a small privacy Jessica wanted.

It seemed basic hygiene like bathing and grooming was no longer essential after one became a vampire; they didn’t sweat, bleed or accumulated dirt or emitted unpleasant body odors. There had been only once in her lifetime she went hiking for two nights and three days with her aunt for her twelfth birthday and vowed she would never go back. Despite using dry shampoo every hour and wiping herself down with wet wipes, the grease on her hair, the stale odor on the surface of her skin and the specks of dirt and sweat was something she could still remember to this day.

_Must be nice to not have to shower every day. Wait why am I in a tub?_

Every bone and muscle ached, head pounding, morning after dry, sour mouth like she had walked the desert for weeks without a drop of water and all-consuming hunger for any and all carbs and the lethargy that stopped her from leaving the tub. This was when the fear struck her – a cold clench in the middle of her chest, a dread so heavy she could feel it – that nagging feeling that she’s done something embarrassing, and the harrowing flashbacks that reminded of her misadventures. Random flashbacks and memories of words and deeds that will cause a person to bark, yelp and growl with horror as their limbs twitch from involuntary spasms of shame.

She couldn’t remember much from last night or how she managed to crawl back into the castle to the safety of her bathroom’s tub. Jessica prayed this wasn’t a repeat of Lauren’s sixteenth birthday party where they were served alcohol buffet-style and the morning after, as single tear winded its way down her face, her mind replayed her trying to air kiss someone and headbutting them instead and vomiting into her hands inside a taxi and then just sitting there, holding it before putting it inside her handbag.

Jessica managed to haul herself out of the bathroom four hours later after vomiting, brushing and washing herself to look as presentable as she could – which wasn’t much but that was what sunglasses were for. Few knocks on her door, Jessica answered and to her delight, sweltering Gianna stood there with puffed, red cheeks from exertion.

“Gianna! Did you go for a morning jog or something?”

“Morning, Jess, uh...have you been drinking?”

“Yeah, last night. I only drank like one or two.”

“You’re still holding a bottle of vodka.” Gianna mentioned, motioning to the empty 1L glass in her hand. She hadn’t noticed.

“Sorry, I’m really hungry, do you have any carbs?”

“We can get lunch later but there are some packages for you and I need you to help me carry them.”

“What packages?”

When she arrived to Gianna’s work table, twenty beige boxes with Christian Louboutin Paris logo written in white lettering were neatly stacked in four rows of five on her desk and chairs.

“That’s not mine.” Jessica shook her head with a frown. She checked the item description sticker, stating the name of the shoe, sku bar and European size as 35.5 – both hers’ and Gianna’s. “Are you sure it isn’t yours’?”

“Not mine. Demetri said you asked for them; twenty of them and he wanted it to be delivered by today.”

Jessica scrawled in shock, vehemently shaking her head, “Nononono, I never ask him for shoes? Who the hell ask a vampire for Louboutins?!”

“You apparently. He said you asked him to get you twenty pairs.”

“Are you sure he didn’t mistake Louboutin for freedom?”

Gianna shook her head, “Look, I only did what he told me; it’s yours’ now, you should have it.”

Apprehensively, Jessica opened one of the nearer boxes, revealing a pair of four inch gold pumps with expensive looking decorations.

“Oh, that’s my favourite! It’s the latest season’s limited edition. Do you know only five were sold worldwide?! They sold it to me because of who I work for; it’s funny to think working for vampires might come with some shopping perks but designers love prestigious family who comes from old money; that’s how I was able to buy my first Birkin. Anyway, I wasn’t sure of your taste so I got various styles for you to wear.”

Jessica regarded the thin heel with horror then looked at Gianna, “This must be a message. Like he wants me dead from broken ankles? Or he wants to stab me with the heel? This is a weapon you know.”

“Or he wants you to wear them?”

“I slip even when I wear sneakers, what do you think this would do to me?”

“Why would you ask him for them then?”

“I didn’t freakin ask him!”

* * *

Jessica ran back to her room, ignoring Gianna’s shout to take them back in the room with her, closed the door and typed in ‘punishment shoe’ on the phone’s search portal. Scrolling down various results about how bad luck it was to give shoes as a gift, her attention shifted to a certain phrase highlighted in the preview.

**_The writing of Juvenal (55-140) emphasised that to give a spanking with a shoe was a serious punishment commonly administered to children and slaves._ **

**_Most gruesome and painful medieval torture devices: boots_ **

**_Punishing Shoes: The shoes were often used in conjunction with the standing pillory (a device that holds your head and wrists in place while you stand). How long do you think you could stand on your tippy-toes before you had to rest your heels on those iron spikes?_ **

**_The Boots: The victim’s legs were placed between two planks of wood and bound together with cords. Between the cords the torturers placed wedges with which they would violently hammer. Each time a wedge was hammered, an acute portion of the shin bone was shattered. The tormentors could hammer at least a dozen wedges up and down the legs. When the Boots were removed, the bone fragments fell to pieces and the skin of the lower legs merely served as loose sacks for them._ **

_Yep, I definitely did something wrong._

It was at that crucial point in her hangover her evening splayed itself in front of her like a chaotic rave video as she slipped into stasis, rendered broken by the journey through a world inhabited by her worst drunken behaviours and most terrible spat sentences seguing before her as she watched herself drunk-dialling Mike, playing idiotic drinking game with Esther, insulting a vampire and even challenging him to a fight.

50 missed calls and 60 messages from Mike, 6 messages from Angela, 8 missed calls and 12 messages from Bella, her phone notifications board read. _Block Mike._ Her mind reminded.

She slid down to the floor against the closed door, rendered catatonic by everything that had happened within twenty four hours.

“Are you awake?” Asked the voice behind the door.

“No I’m dead.”

“You did not like my gifts?”

“I thought it’s very expensive and unnecessary way to kill someone.”

“Kill you?” Demetri muttered, confused, “You asked for them, remember?”

“Why would I ask twenty pairs of Louboutins from a vampire?”

“So that you will be mine.”

Her phone clattered against the floor, jaw dropped as she stared at the wood – the person behind it.

“Are you joking?” He was snarky and flirtatious and that made her hard to read him than Alec or Caius. She could never take his words at its face value and was left nuisance by the amount of analysis her brain had to endeavour each of his words and actions. In fact, he was a little like Mike, Jessica grumbled, on the surface they seemed most carefree and simple but underneath were convoluted skein of multiplex psychology. Maybe she should study psychology instead, that might help lessen the amount of shocks she’d experience in life than philosophy.

“I am not. I’m interested in you – more than as a food.”

“Why would a vampire as old as you be interested in me?”

“The same way Edward is interested in his human. Could one put such proclivity into words?”

“And you thought it was good idea to confess when I’m drunk?”

“You were too endearing.”

“Look, if you’re interested in having some weird human-vampire sex, you should ask Esther; she’d be more than happy to jump into the experiment.”

“It has to be you.” Demetri confessed, “I chose you. No one else can be you.”

She heard those lines before, so many times in the movies and books and from Mike and other boys before him. Jessica thought it was the most cheesiest, cringe-worthy declaration yet Demetri managed to make them sound like the greatest love confession that could demean Romeo and Juliet’s love as fleeting crush. It’s that siren voice of his; velvety, enchanting, baritone song she was sure seduced many women in his lifetime.

 _Oh I must be the new ‘it’ toy._ Jessica thought emotionlessly.

“I was drunk when I said that. And I’m pretty sure I didn’t ask you for Louboutins, I tend to ask for food. Are you sure it wasn’t pizza?”

“You were not exactly clear about what you wanted.” She could almost feel his smile.

“Yeah, I tend to forget the name of the food I want to eat when I’m drunk.” Jessica revealed, “It’s not fair to take advantage of me like that.”

“You are more honest when intoxicated.” Demetri replied, “And more entertaining.”

“Oh is that why you tucked me into the bathtub instead of my bed?!”

“You wanted me nowhere near you. You tried to challenge me to a fight, attempted to force me to play hide and seek then threatened to stab me with a stake if I enter your room. It left me quite frightened.”

“Good to know someone like you could still be frightened.”

“Not much faze me these days hence more kudos to you.”

“I have a boyfriend.”

“The same one that makes you cry?”

Jessica’s eyes widened, forcing a neutral tone she entreated, “What did I do?”

“Nothing much other than crying over your broken heart and getting into fights with lampposts because it kept blocking your way.”

“Sorry you had to play Dr Phil.” She wasn’t.

“I do not know who that doctor is.”

 _He’s not an actual doctor._ “He’s just someone that gets paid to listen to your problem and try to solve them.”

“Ah.”

Jessica wished she could just dracarys herself into oblivion, disintegrated ash of nothing just like her dignity last night.

“Open the door. Let me see you.”

“Sorry, I’m not decent.” _I look like Miss Trunchbull right now._

“Good. I prefer that.”

Her cheeks lighted with red hues at his suggestive intonation but refused to let it affect her, “Sorry for confusing you but please return those shoes. I didn’t mean what I said last night.”

There was a pause.

“What is your answer now?”

 “I don’t know you...not exactly romantic to dive in to a relationship with a stranger.”

“Then we can start now. Ask your questions and I shall answer to the best of my abilities.”

“Would Aro be fine with…all of this?”

“He tolerates them as long as you do not expose our existence.”

 _Quite an obvious answer._ She thought.

“Fine. But you need to return those shoes.” Jessica ordered, “I thought it was some kind of sinister message about the way you’d kill me or something!”

“They do not suit your taste?”

“It’s a bit wasteful to spend so much on those shoes when you could probably buy out the whole restaurant with that money.”

He chuckled, “Understood. But let me see your face.”

“Why?”

“As much as I enjoy hearing your voice, nothing would make me happier than seeing its owner.”

Jessica sat on the cold, marble floor for ten minutes before slowly standing up and turning to face the door. With great reluctance, her hand pushing down the lever and pulled it inward until a thin sliver of space allowed them to merge; making him known the door would not open further. Demetri silently respected the boundary with a modest smile. The gap was sufficient enough for him to reach out his arm inside, his fingers stroking the exposed side of her cheek, running down until it met her fingertips and bringing the same hand toward him. His lips brushed her fingers before turning out her hand to press those full lips against her palm, feather light; almost as though the gesture was a sort of secret they knew.

Gently returning her arm back to her, he backed away while maintaining their eye contact before he turned to disappear into the dark tunnel.

She wished that vodka bottle wasn’t empty.

* * *

Ever since her encounter with Demetri, she needed to feel the wind and the sun on her skin, air in her lung because she couldn’t breathe. Jessica wondered from places to places, spent hours in the L'Incontro as she briefly spoke with her parents then replied to Angela’s texts and called Bella to say she was still thinking on her grand scheme of plans.

When the sun went down, the end of day nearing as it called for everyone to return back to their home, she didn’t want to go back to the castle. That late evening, Jessica returned to the museum, sitting beneath the _Deposition from the Cross, Volterra._

The paint conveyed grief and violent suffering; Jessica wondered what could have been like to have actually been presence at His final moment. Would people’s expression been just like this image or quite different.

From the corner of her gaze, Jessica espied someone sitting down beside her on the marble bench, separated by the chess board integrated into the furniture. She thought it was such a unique and beautiful design; a transparent black and white glass board with frosted, clear chess pieces for one to play under the magnificent art pieces. There were no one but her and the person beside her in this chamber.

“Do you want to play chess?” She asked, turning to face the cruel vampire.

“You would not win.” He sounded calm, nonchalant.

It was at rare moment like this that made her think the man wasn’t always perpetually and chronically angry although he rarely displayed other emotions other than expressing satisfaction in administering and participating in punishment. He certainly felt genuine disdain for humans, that she felt, but it was nice for him to act somewhat amicably.

“It would be my life’s greatest achievement if I did.” Jessica commented with excitement, “How could one ever expect to win against an ancient vampire in any strategic games?”

He scoffed, “You sounded certain in your sudden outburst yesterday.”

“I didn’t mean to disrespect your authorities as leaders.” Jessica explained, “But I didn’t like how he was upsetting everyone for his amusement or some intricate plans of his. Including you. I know – at least I think I know – you want the law to be respected and followed by everyone; no exceptions. Me and Bella’s status as still being human and not dead or vampire undermine that. I mean what’s use is the law if someone follows it and others don’t…”

“Thus you know how problematic your presence is.” Caius retorted, “I hope you shall not forget that thinking. One step out of the line and I shall see to your death, regardless of what Aro have in his plans for you. You will not be spared.”

“I won’t be spared.” Jessica nodded with affirmation. It used to scare her – death despite what she had fronted but she wasn’t anymore. Maybe that’s what made everyone fear death. The hold they had for the world of living; whether it was money, legacy, fame, family, friends or love, it was all too good to leave it all behind after the effort and time they invested in their lives. What good is that investment if you won’t reap what you sow?

For her, there was still time to at least right the wrongs that needed to be righted, tie any loose ends that needed to be tied, prepare for the ending of her life and hope by the time they hear the news of her death, there would still be someone in the world to carry on the memory of Jessica Stanley in a way she wanted to be remembered. That was her immortality.

That was one of final fears most people faced, wasn’t it? Who will remember them and how will they be remembered? The idea that they were men of means but not of men of substance would be recurring terror.

Jessica regarded the painting with pondering wonder. _Life is full of choices. How many of those choices would I come to regret? I’m not sure about anything else but one thing is for sure. We choose the path we walk on. Even though we haven’t found the answers to all the questions in our choices, but still, we aren’t alone._

“So chess?” Jessica asked again, “I’m not sure if you ever played chess with a human before. My grandmother was a genius at chess, better than most men apparently, and she wanted to be a grandmaster but because of the gender she was assigned to at birth, she couldn’t so she taught everything she knows to me hoping I’d follow her footsteps. I didn’t want to become a grandmaster because it didn’t’ sound girly enough at the time. Anyway, I got my grandmother’s seventy years of experience under my belt.”  

For a moment, he seemed irritated at the prospect of engaging in chess duelling with a human until to her delight, shifted his body to the marble table and taking back his scattered black pieces.

“I will not be amused if you make this game dull for me.” The command although seemed like a veiled threat carried an air of light bon mot.

“Sure. I hope you don’t go easy on me either because I’m human.” As white piece start first, Jessica opened it with a pawn to E4.

“Hmph.” Caius countered with a pawn to C5.

Jessica took a moment to ponder on her next move, after all she was taking on a vampire who had thousands and thousands years observe countless openings and practises to ploy and hone any mistakes or weakness he may have had. She moved her white knight to F3.

Caius, on the other hand, slid his black knight to C6 without reserve.

She moved anther pawn to D4. Caius’ C pawn attacked her D pawn which gave her knight the chance to attack the same pawn of his.

The game was spent in silence other than occasional sounds of pieces moving across the board; one could feel what sort of person they were by their defense and offense, and just as she had predicted, he was aggressive in his advance but rightfully cautious in each moves he make.

She captured his Queen while he captured two of her pawns and a rook allowing him to promote the pawn to Queen. Her Queen quickly recaptured his. Most tended to resign after their Queen was captured due to the loss of points and material gap but Caius didn’t.

“In chess, the Queen is the hero and the King is the damsel in distress. I always wondered why Queen was the most powerful and the King is not because you’d expect the opposite.”

“Once the King is dead, the game is over. The Queen, even with its powers, is replaceable. The game continues whether the Queen is alive or dead.”

“You’d think the King would at least be too sad to fight.” Jessica grumbled.

“A King cannot be easily swayed by its emotions. Otherwise he would not be one. Contrary to your belief, the chess board once lacked a queen altogether,” Caius admitted, “In India, Persia and the Arab crescent; early chess included only male figures, the closest thing to the queen being the ‘vizier.”

“Oh, so she wasn’t always powerful? How did queen come to be?”

“No. In tenth century rule, the queen was second only to pawns in her abject powerlessness on the board – able to move only one step diagonally in any direction, but today’s queen was born of the gender politics associated with the clash between Christianity and Eastern cultures; and gained power in concert with traditions of queenly rule in Europe.”

_Well I learned something new today._

On the 47th move, her King was cornered and game was over.

“شاه مات‎.” He declared in an unfamiliar tongue she suspected meant ‘checkmate’.

Accepting her defeat, she clapped, “It’s been a long time since the game lasted so long!” Jessica said in awe, the only time the game became long lasting was when she went up against her grandmother. And not many people in Forks tend to even know how to play chess, except for Angela who entertained her often, and so she was accustomed to playing alone by herself. It was boring but analysing positions and entire game on her own, freely exploring moves and idea while trying to determine best play made for fantastic improvements of her skills.

“I thought you would last longer than forty seventh moves.” Caius intoned, discontented.

“I’m the first human you went against; you can’t exactly compare me to another vampire.” Jessica moaned, “You know what, give me a chance, I will beat you.” Pause, “One day.” Another pause, “Before my death.”

“I do not give second changes.” Caius disregarded, “You will not win against me whilst you are human.”

Jessica sighed, “Well I studied your move today and I swear I will beat you. You better prepare yourself.”

“No need.”

“Ouch! That’s cruel.”

“Ah, you realise that now?”

“That remark was just as painful as Jane’s power.”

“Oh, would you like another taste for comparison?”

“No thank you!” Jessica shook her head, “I need to apologise to Jane for trespassing her garden but I don’t know how to. Do you know what’s sorry in flower language is?”

He raised a brow at her question, “Are you so inane to not know where to look for those information?”

“Well, we modern humans don’t exactly know flower language from top of our head despite what past humans did. I just know red rose means love and I learnt it the hard way when I turned up to my cousin’s Asian friend’s birthday part with white flowers which apparently means death and you should only give it to in a funeral.”

“Thus you proved my point.” Caius sharply remarked with a tilt of his head.

“You seemed to know everything; I thought you’d know about flower language too. Sorry.” Jessica countered.

“Purple hyacinth.” He said after a long silent.

“Wha–oh purple hyacit?” Jessica took out her phone, fingers clumsily tapping on the screen to write them down before she forgot.

“Hyacinth.”

“How do you spell-never mind, auto correct.” Jessica quickly returned her attention to the phone, avoiding the glare he was giving her.

“Thank you for today!” She grinned, “For the game and the knowledge. Can we play another soon? I’ll try to hit sixty moves.”

He didn’t respond, standing up and leaving the museum.

She gasped as the phone clock displayed 01:00AM. _They’ve been playing for two hours!_

* * *

The next day came without much trouble, although having stayed up late until 3AM meant sleeping into the afternoon, exhaustingly climbing out of the bed, feeling unrested. She came across Gianna, who with dejected mien, was organising the shoe boxes into a corner for them to be sent back. Thoughtfully, Jessica told her it was up to hers’ to do whatever she wanted to do with those shoes, send it all back or keep it for herself, Jessica didn’t mind. At the gleeful brightening of Gianna’s expression, she was glad to have asked the question. Gianna promised to buy her a drink next time. Jessica asked her to change it to pizza instead of alcohol as from now on, she had decided to distance herself from the devil’s drink.

Jessica stopped by a small flower shop in the town, _Artemisia Fioristi,_ admiring the various mix of fresh cut flowers, stems and greens displayed outside the shop. On the window, there was a typography poster in colourful, cursive font with a message: _‘Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers – they'll remind you how beautiful life is!’_

_Last time I did, it turned out to be poison ivy._

The young woman, presumably the florist, opened the shop’s door to greet her with a large grin, “Ciao, my name’s Giulia! Are you and your boyfriend looking for something?”

 _Boyfriend_? Confused, she let out a tiny gasp when she felt an arm wrapping itself around her wrist and was assaulted with different sharp, sweet scent altogether.

“If all you wanted was flowers, you could have asked.” Demetri turned with a soft look in his eyes.

“Actually,” She started, addressing both Giulia and ‘her boyfriend’, “I’m looking for something to give it to a friend.”

The pretty florist nodded, blushing and gaze lingering predominantly on Demetri, “Sure, you want to come in?”

Jessica nodded before whispering to the vampire next to her, “Every time you sneak up on me, I lose five years off my life expectancy.”

“All the more reason to hurry your transformation.” He replied with a smirk.

Removing his hand from her waist with rolling of her eyes as she entered the shop, “You’re funny, Demetri(!)” No, he wasn’t.

“I hear that every time.”

Jessica wasn’t interested in flowers as much as she probably could; finding little use in something that would last in its beauty for few days before she had to dispose the wilted flowers which was an another type of labour she wanted to avoid. Mike had learned very early in the relationship, flowers meant inconsequential to her and preferred food over stunning bouquets of roses.

So it wasn’t a surprise to have never entered a flower shop before today as she marvelled at the sight that unravelled before her. The first thing she noticed was its cold, intoxicating fragrance; an aroma mash-up of freesias, roses, lilac, peonies and whatever else was dewy-fresh.  The blossoms placed next to each other took her on a botanical scent journey that rarely missed a beat, even if it was peppered with the bitter trail of ivy or an earthy pine branch on the way.

“So does your friend have any favourite flowers?” Giulia asked.

Taking out her phone, Jessica checked her note for the flower’s name. “Um, purple hya..c..”

“Purple hyacinth.” Demetri intervened for her. “Flower of sorrow, forgiveness and regret.”

Giulia stared at him, impressed and more charmed than ever, “Oh wow, you really know your flowers! It’s really rare to meet a man who knows floriography other than the obvious red roses.”

“My mother taught it to me.” He replied tersely.

“Your mum’s awesome.” Giulia cooed with delight then looked at Jessica enviously, “You’re so lucky.”

_Please, no._

Giulia headed to the shop’s corner where Jessica saw waxy, densely-packed florets, ranging from white, peach, orange, salmon, yellow, pink, red, purple, blue and lavender.

“I presume it is for Jane?”

“Yep, do you think she’ll accept them?”

“Jane can be unforgiving most of the time, especially if it involves her brother. I am sorry but I cannot give you an exact answer.”

“Well,” Jessica sighed, “She won’t kill me at least right?”

“She won’t.” Demetri said then vowed, “I will make sure of that.”

Jessica blinked, lowering her head to hide the obvious blush creeping up her face.

“What varieties do you want: single, double or multiflora?! You’re lucky, often you do not have much choice in them!” Giulia shouted from the back.

Jessica with no shred of information on flowers, referred back to Demetri for guidance with trouble expression. “Uh…”

“Multiflora is less formal than single or double. Singles are common; doubles are rare and makes for an excellent display. I suggest you get the double since you have an option.”

Jessica nodded, “Double please!”

Giulia brought several similar florets to the table, laying in front of her to choose, one was densely flowered and aesthetically pleasing while other, Jessica suspected was single, were not as full and clumped. The third flower looked very similar to both singles and doubles with noticeable differences in size and bulbs.

“I think Jane might prefer Roman than the Dutch.” Demetri advised much to Giulia’s delight.

“Wow, you really know your flowers, huh!” Giulia praised with a gasp.

Demetri accepted the compliment gracefully with a humble smile.

“So how many do you want? Twenty five or fifty stems?”

“Fifty please, as much as you can pack.” Jessica replied straight away.

Jessica and Demetri left the shop, in her hand lush, big hand-tied bouquets of royal purple Roman hyacinth and eighty euros out of her pocket. _Who knew flowers could be so expensive?!_

“I assume flowers are not your taste either.” Demetri noted. Jessica almost dropped her wallet when she read the register’s screen and discerning her shock, Demetri had offered to pay although she refused to allow him, seeing this was her own matter, not his.

“Nope.” Jessica confirmed.

“You are not interested in flowers or shoes, _what_ do you want?”

“..Food.”

Demetri let out a feeble huff, face contorted into surprise at her unexpected answer.

* * *

Jessica wasn’t sure how she should start – at first, she should try to locate Jane. She recalled how well kept and flourished the garden was, suggesting the young vampire spent better part of her time tending to its need but she sure as hell didn’t want to burst into the garden for another  replay of the certain day in the garden and ruining the one chance for reconciliation.

She was standing in the dark tunnel, with bunch of flowers in hand and a nervous grin on her face as though she arrived on her date’s doorstep for their first date.

“Alec?” Jessica called to nothing particular, hoping he would answer. Ever since their quarrel in her room, she had not seen him nor did he sought her out like he had when they were on a more friendly term before Demetri discovered them. She missed that.

Typically, he would respond to his name and come to her like some twisted version of knight in shining armour of hers’. Sometimes she felt that no matter where she was, his name was that magic word that would summon him to her side.

Her head hung low, dejected, her call remaining unanswered and unheard in the air.

 _How am I supposed to give this to Jane now?_ Jessica sighed. _I’ll have to ask Demetri._

Turning toward the tunnel’s exit, she was about to walk away when a voice spoke up in the abyss.

“You called.”

The familiar cold, monotone voice halted her in track and happiness hit her in a huge burst as her spell worked.

“Alec!” Jessica exclaimed, stunned. But he was hidden in the darkness, too dark for mortal eyes to discern anything clear of the vampire behind her. “I can’t see you.”

“I can.”

A sense of insecurity waved over her, palms sweating and her stomach tying itself into knots as the diligently prepared speech irretrievable from the black hole of her mind. Soon, they fell into an impasse, neither willing to speak.

Then few moments later, Alec lifted the silence. “Why did you call me?”

“Is Jane still angry?”

Jessica felt his intense gaze upon her, disliking how he could see her but she couldn’t. She needed to see his face.

“She has calmed down. There is no need to concern yourself with her.” He intoned.

“C-can I? Can I see her?”

There was a pause and in that moment, she wanted to take out her phone and shine a light on him to discern what sort of expression his face was wearing.

“Why?”

“I want to give her this..” She mentioned to the florets she was holding in her arms, “I want to apologise to her.”

“That would only irritate her. She does not want to see you.”

“I know she’s mad at me and I know it was wrong of me to sneak into the garden but I want to apologise to her face to face.” Jessica pleaded, “If she still won’t see me then can you pass this onto her then? For me?”

Alec let out a deep, frustrated breath and snatched the florets from her arms.

“Why are _you_ angry?” She asked, “Is it because of Jane?”

“Don’t.” He strained, “Stop presuming things.”

“If it’s not Jane then what–” The air left her, sentence left hanging in the precipice of her tongue as she felt herself pushed against the wall in blinding speed that left her dizzy. It didn’t help she was still very hung-over.

“Stop tormenting me!” It was the first time she heard him raise his voice but her moment of fear was left too distracted by the closeness of their bodies, drowning her in that sickly sweet aroma of his. Just like that time.

“What did I do?” Jessica asked, sincerely wanting to know just what she had done to him to warrant his anger.

* * *

**شاه مات - Persian phrase "shāh māt" which means, literally, "the King is helpless."**

 


	15. Chapter XIV:  Zwischenzug

 

**I've decided to put original version of Pandora (chapter 1-18) on Dropbox (as PDF). Dropbox has two options you can choose from: with reviews replies or without.**

** Dropbox links are in my TUMBLR ACCOUNT ** **: sunset-wishes-upon-hill**

* * *

**Thank you to those who have read, reviewed and favourited my story.**

**Please read this before continuing:**

**Now I myself is someone who believes have what one would consider 'knowing basic right and wrong' to live in this day and age as a 'normal' person. Of course, what's right and wrong are influenced by our culture, education and traditions as history. Philosophy had shown us the ever changing norms parallel to time and technology and this is firmly rooted in our mind that it's difficult to change our views.**

**To answer why I am writing this warning is because this chapter and future chapters will contain themes of infidelity, non-monogamous relationships and implication of sexual nature that may be considered heretical in its nature and many readers may find reading such things disturbing and controversial but I ask of you, dear readers, to keep open minded.**

**I try to understand that vampires are beings who have 'died' as humans and were reborn as something resembling an animal disguised in human skin that mainly acts on primal instinct and therefore cannot be expected to adhere to norms and morality set by humans and its society. Even in books, they are coded as predator.**

**Vampires in Twilight has their own rules and laws, along with its entirely different ruling government and when I read all four books, I noticed it was always a pair and I presume this was more influenced by the writer's religious belief.**

**Vampires have no concept of time or age or morals or ethics the way humans have. Vampires – Volturi in particular, were born from various ages where morals, ethics and what defined adulthood/childhood were very different, ranging from Ancient Greece to Middle Ages to Enlightenment era to Victorian era to modern period. Humans judge by people’s appearance because it gives you an idea of what sort of person they are: age, ethnicity, gender, social class, personality traits and even physical strength. The book says when they become a vampire, this is stripped away – their skin colours are bleached away and their human side becomes dormant. In the case of Alec and Jane, they are known as the strongest vampires in the world because of their power regardless that they were turned so young. Age/physical appearance becomes unreliable source in judging how old and how strong vampires are.**

**To Jessica, she might simply see Alec as a young boy because she cannot separate human age to vampire age. To other vampires, Alec’s physical age doesn’t matter, what matters is which coven he belongs to, what power and how old he has been alive.**

**TL:DR: So I hope that you guys understood where I'm coming from and that you remember that vampires and humans are entirely different creatures with different morals and ethics. Age and physical appearance doesn’t matter as much to vampires than to human. This is what I'm trying to portray here.**

**A/N: Today is my birthday and you deserve an update.**

* * *

Jessica both anticipated and dreaded at the thought of meeting her. There were so much similarity between them; after all, they were twins: the same angelic faces – one feminine and masculine, only she had fuller lips than her brother and her eyes blazed with emotions like flames in skull compared to Alec who rarely allowed emotions to affect him. Ironic enough, their gifts couldn’t be more suiting of their character. Fire and ice.

 _I know Alec told me not to do this but..silence creates misunderstanding and misunderstanding creates hate._ She had done many things others have told her not to do and had yet to learn from them.  Well, life and death are providential and there is nothing a man can do in the face of death, as Mr T says.

Unlike last time, she didn’t dare to walk straight in the garden without an invite but teetered nervously by the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the young, blonde female.

“You.” The young vampire growled with disdain, body trembling with anger.

Jessica backed away, hoping to convey she would not trespass into the garden without a definite invite. There was no warning, except Jane’s vehement, daggering glare focused on her. Shock of blistering fire raced through her bloodstream. Jessica’s body contorted, jerked in the soil.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have gone into your garden. Please forgive me.” The words tumbled out clumsily, lame and ineffectual. The pain didn’t lessen, “I was rude–I disrespected you and for that I regret that–I’m sorry for bringing your brother into the mess as well–I just came here to say that–whether you accept it or not, I wanted you to know how much I’m regretting my actions.”

The pain continued and continued, stopping only barely what her body could bear. But she got up, propping herself to her feet and put down the Roman hyacinth she had brought again from Giulia that morning to the ground. The beautifully arranged flower were all ruined, she must have held them in her grip as she fended against the pain. Jessica turned to walk away; unable to look at Jane without jabbering another bout of apologies.

* * *

“Why do you want Jane’s forgiveness so much?” Demetri decided to inquire in genuine curiosity. He had known she has been leaving the flowers by the garden every each day despite Jane’s rejection and occasional punitive rewards.

“Maybe I want to be friend with her.”

Demetri grasped her arm to turn her toward him, disturbed frown marring his handsome face. “You are insane.”

Jessica tilted her head defiantly, “Why? I’ve became friends with you and Alec.”

“Friends..?” Demetri scoffed, “Is that what you think this is?”

“Oh, did I hurt you with the friend zone?” Jessica gasped mockingly, “Screw a friendzone. I’ll brotherzone you. I’ll call you my uncle. I’ll invite you to a family reunion and introduce you as my favourite cousin.”

“No, I meant you believe Alec regards you as a friend?” Demetri clarified with an amused laugh, unaffected by her caustic mocking.

“Well, before you came along and this whole thing happened, we were chill. But I don’t think we’re friends anymore.”

His eyes narrowed with suspicious glint as he examined her face, “Something happened.” The confidence in his tone evinced it wasn’t said in a question, rather a confirmation of his speculation. Her blank façade faltered fleetingly before it soothed back into her poker face but it was too late to hide from his sharp observation. Nothing escaped him. He wasn’t called the greatest tracker in the world simply because of his powerful gift; for thousands of years, he along with his maker had been meticulously honing his gift, pushing past its limit to become who he was today. A mere human’s attempt to lie was as significant as a grain of sand on the ground.

“Because I’m trying to apologise to his sister against his advice.” Jessica admitted, biting the inside of her cheeks, “It’s nothing. I don’t learn that’s why.”

She felt him slightly lean back, granting her the needed space from their closeness. It reminded her of that day in the tunnel she wanted to forget. He had left her before she could justify her reason and rationalise his sudden outburst to her. It greatly saddened her that their cautiously built relationship fell apart so easily from a single mistake. _Then again, all relationships are like that – hard to build, easy to burn down._

“You are right.” Demetri agreed, “You do not learn.”

Jessica waited for what would probably be a teasing jibe of her character when she was surprised his next word was actually pleasantly styled.

“But that is what I expect from you; it is part of your charm.”

Jessica gifted him with a grateful smile.

* * *

There was only one certain situation where Jessica would declare with utmost conviction it is better to face vampires with chopsticks.

Her email read:

**_Dear Jessica,_ **

**_You’re report assignment on Political and Economy was due on Monday and have yet to be handed in. Please submit them in APA format with your candidate number by tomorrow or I will have you marked fail._ **

**_Regards,_ **

**_Mr Turnell._ **

Jessica groaned. _About now would be a great time for them to say I’m either dead or undead. It would be so unfair if I hand in my essay and an hour later, they be like ‘today is the day of your death’_

She immediately typed a reply on her phone:

**_Dear Mr Turnell,_ **

**_I apologise for not submitting my 2000 words sociology report few days ago but I assure you that I have the most valid and agreeable reason as to why I had not been up to date with my assignments._ **

**_As you know, I have been away on a travel to Italy – not as romantic as it sounds. In recent light, I have discovered a secret that has put my life at risk, of which I cannot discuss over the email or in person or with any living beings – even with the animals. I understand how this must sound equitable to ‘I have troubling personal affairs I need to settle quietly’ but I assure you that this is very life threateningly real and  I am afraid if I involve you, you may not get out of this mess alive._ **

**_Please note, this is not a threat nor do I dare to do so against my most favourite and respected teachers out of all Forks High faculty members._ **

**_So forgive me if I forgot that I had an essay or two that was due last week, in fact, I have not been procrastinating and would know better than to_** ** _jeopardise my future more than it already has_**. ** _You have said once, ‘As mortals, w_** ** _e’re all dying, just at different speeds.’ I am, however, Usain Bolt of dying._**

**_You know my candidate number not my story._ **

**_I think, therefore bitch I might be._ **

**_I’m stabbing you in my mind._ **

**_Jessica._ **

Of course she wasn’t actually going to send this email to Mr Turnell but damn was she tempted. How do someone word out ‘I’m being held hostage by group of ancient vampires in their castle in Italy so would it be possible to exempt me from school works until I sort this out so that I may come out of this situation alive?’ without mentioning ‘vampires’ or ‘hostage’?

Defeated, Jessica rewrote a sensible, auspicious reply Mr Turnell would be expecting:

**_Dear Mr Turnell,_ **

**_I am truly sorry I was unable to hand in my assignment. It had been such hectic month for me, being in another country with the time difference and all. I know this is no good excuse. I will submit the essay_ ** **_in APA format with proper citation tomorrow. Thank you for giving me an extension._ **

**_Kind regards,_ **

**_Jessica._ **

The screen faded into black, her despondent reflection gazing back at herself and a small bruise forming below her right jaw. She had accidently punched herself in the face while trying to pull her blanket up that morning in sleepy haze and spent an hour crying, thinking, _if that doesn’t describe my life, I don’t know what does._

Then she was left reminded of piles of school assignments and works that had to be proffered soon; the reason for the brief pretermit of her responsibility being occupied by the discovery of vampires and the shock.

 _Every minute you’re not dead should be a minute spent enjoying the fuck out of life._ Jessica protested inwardly, _especially if today might be my last day alive._

* * *

Her phone read 01:30AM. 8 hours of writing. 200 words written. Panic was setting in. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she sipped on her mix cocktail of bitter, black Americano and Red Bull with a dash of beer.  It was at times like this was she envious of vampire’s inability to sleep and here she was doing everything within her power to not to fall into the alluring spell of deep slumber. But sleeping wasn’t an option. A bizarre double-think consumed her caffeinated mind. There was five hours until sunrise, and every passing moment meant the deadline is inching closer; somehow those 200 words on the computer screen had to become 2,000 and she didn’t had the faintest clue how that was going to happen – in a metaphysical sense, it was bewildering and profound. Yet on the other hand, the morning was freedom, when the confines of her bedroom ceased to be prison walls and she can finally sink under that soft duvet.

Reaching for the fifth cup of coffee-Red Bull-alcohol mix, her hand started to shake. _I’m striving to be consistently positive but people and life are always trying me._ Jessica growled in irritation.

“What are you doing?”

Exhausted and sluggish, she didn’t register his face appearing next to hers’ nor his arms draping over her chair.  

“You’re seeing a perfect example of school’s law of Motion: a student in bed will remain in bed until a large force of panic is applied.”

“What?”

 

“It means I have less than a day to hand in a 2,000 word essay and I’m pretty sure the 200 words in this essay have nothing to do with discussing Hobbes’s account of human nature. Sometimes I wonder where my life would be right now if I took playing the recorder more seriously in elementary.”

Demetri stared at the laptop screen, skimming through what she had typed in millisecond and nodding, “You are right, what you have written is entirely irrelevant to Hobbes.”

“True to be told, I don’t even know 2,000 words. I’m sure Mr T will have a field day ripping into this essay.”

“Ah.”

Jessica leaned back into the chair and unwittingly to his arms; lids heavily draping down when her mind came across an idea she hoped he would sympathies. 

“Do you want to write my report for me?”

He arched a questioning brow, expression sardonic, “You really like to make yourself unpredictable; I never had anyone ask me to do their studies before.”

“Yeah, yeah, there’s first time for everything – vampires aren’t exception. Are you going to type up 2,000 words for me or not?” Jessica snapped. The souring of her mood deriving from volatile combination of caffeine overdose, stress and sleep deprivation.

“I can help you but I will not do your work for you.” He chided, settling himself beside her in a spare chair at the table.

“I can pay you. Cash.” She sounded so desperate now, “Not too much but we can negotiate.”

The corner of his lips curved to his ear; pressing a long, slender index against the line as though not to allow a laughter escape. “I have plenty.” He said after a little while.

If there was a perfect epigraph to describe her life, it would be: ‘woman who thought she’d lost all hope loses last additional bit of hope she didn’t even know she still had.’

 “Fine, whatever, I need to get this essay done like right now, so don’t bother me.” Jessica grumbled, “And why did you come in here, I could have been sleeping or something.”

“You weren’t. Your breathing pattern was irregular.”

The rhythmic typing ceased, her head slowing turning to face Demetri with a petrified expression, “Were you..spying on whether I was sleeping or not?”

“No, I was just passing when I noticed you were not sleeping as usual.” Demetri clarified, “You snore often.”

Fierce, flaming blush rode across her face, stuttering, “I-I do not snore! Ask anyone that slept with me! I don’t!” It dawned that her comment contained a very, implicit sexual innuendo and rushed to define them, “You can ask Bella and Angela and my mum! Even Lauren!”

He shot her a teasing smile, implying he was reveling in her fluster, “I believe you.”

While having someone awake at 2AM with her was less lonely and fun as it was, she needed to finish her essay because she was still a student and needed to fulfill her duty even if one were held hostage by vampires. _Even if I were dead, my grandmother would make my spirit go to school._

“Look, it’s fun to talk to you and stuff, but I really need to focus on my work right now.”

“And I am more than willing to help you.”

“But I’ll have to do the work.” Jessica sighed.

* * *

It was 9AM by the time she flashed out 2,000 word report on Hobbes’s account on human nature and having consumed more than 8 cups of caffeine potent cocktail, it left her feeling jittery and unpleasant. By four in the morning and on her sixth cup, she didn’t exactly feel fresh and energised no matter how much Red Bull-coffee she guzzled down, rendering her into a brain-dead zombie. She peaked and then crashed, energies having been expended on staring at the wall excitedly leaving her with the tell-tale sign of all-nighter tremors in her legs and hands.

Her email was brief and frank, void of pleasantries. No hello or even a notification of what the email entailed. Just an attachment and a simple click to send.

“It is done!” Jessica praised. _Thank you coffee, thank you Red Bull, thank you alcohol, thank you tears!_

Turning to Demetri who had been by her side for seven hours, rooted in his seat that sometimes she could have mistaken him for a statue if not for their constant communication, she said with gratitude, “Thank you.”

Fortunately for her, an ancient vampire who had studied every aspect of philosophy and religion were a much better resource than Googling hours for articles she didn’t know where to begin with.

“Now it is done, I shall collect my payment.”

“Cash, okay? I just need to find my wall–”

He bent and gave her a brief, chaste kiss on the cheek. “That is all I need.”

It was a sort of kiss that was more innocent and enigmatic in the barometer of intimacy – while the lips were where love, the passion, the feelings were wildly expressed, cheeks were reserved from mutual acquaintance to friends, between families and lovers. So Jessica, while perplexed by the meaning he seemed to want to impress upon her, was left just as flustered by the contact.

“Get some sleep.” Demetri told her, patting her head like her grandfather, when alive, often did when she was a young child.

 _It’s at a time like this I realise just how old he is._ Jessica inwardly thought.

“Where are you going?”

“To leave you in peace so that you can rest.” Demetri replied with a smile, “You deserve it. I will tell Gianna to not disturb you for the day.”

“Thank you.” Jessica returned then added hesitantly, “If you’re not busy, can you help me with my work again sometimes?”

“It would be my pleasure.” He nodded, “The payments are sweet enough.”

Jessica rolled her eyes in exasperation. He could be so difficult to understand sometimes. Like all the other vampires in the castle.

* * *

Jessica knelt down by the garden’s round trellis arch to place her twelfth flower, mind still foggy from pulling an all-nighter stunt despite sleeping through the whole day.

Black Mary Jane shoes with small heels belonging to petite feet came into her view, prompting her to peer up at its owner.

“Jane?!” The sight of the female vampire reminded she wasn’t welcome. It was why she had been leaving flowers, unseen. Jessica stood up, turning to leave. “Sorry, I’ll leave now.”

“Why are you doing this?” Her question was tinted with razor-edged, distrusting undertone.

Jessica faced her, startled in disbelief at Jane’s apparent sangfroid. While having heard her speak before, it was the first time hearing them, devoid of unconcealed malice and hostility.

“Because I offended you by coming into your garden without asking for permission..” Jessica responded but the truncating tension and vocal pitch suggested her message fell incomplete – there was more to say or there were questions to be answered. “..I-I want to be friend with you.”

A warning shock trilled through her, not harsh enough to have her writhing on the floor like last time, just enough to force up her guard.

“I will ask you once more, what is your intention?” A growl escaped her, crimson eyes glowing in the light.

Jessica bit down on her tongue, having expected such reaction. Tilting her chin up in defiance, Jessica met her stares. “I’m not lying to you. I simply want us to get along, if not friends. I don’t want you to hate me and I don’t want any bad blood between us.”

Jane scoffed, “You are deluded. Vampires and humans can never be friends. You humans cannot even coexist with others without destroying them.”

“I know.” Jessica wholeheartedly agreed, “Humans are much weaker than we think. Because we are weak, sometimes we become cruel. I used to think horror were full of monsters, zombies and vampires – the fact that these things are paranormal and come from a place that isn’t a part of a natural world, was what makes them scary. But I’ve come to learn that sometimes a horror doesn’t have to have anything paranormal; sometimes monsters are human. I admit I’m not a good person but each new day is a chance to become someone better.”

Jane remained mum, and regarded her with an exulting, yet steady look arising from a confliction of newly awakened feelings. To Jessica it was sufficient: she read it as if Jane had actually uttered these words: ‘Huh, you’re not what I thought you were.’

Jane wheeled around, disappearing into the garden once more. The flowers left forgotten.

* * *

Jessica visited the museum again in hope of seeing Caius and challenging him for another exhilarating round of chess. If there was one thing that she found the running of the gallery to be peculiar was that they often rotated around the art works as its central piece for the week. Today, a new canvas was displayed and beneath it at the bench sat a figure. Her eyes narrowed in effort to sharpen out the blurry figure; her recent eye test showed they were slightly near-sighted but it wasn’t too much of a concern to wear glasses constantly when carrying out her daily task except when she was in class and needed to see the board or watching movies and TVs.

Jessica smiled excitedly, striding further to the hall with excitement. Nearing enough for the image to become clear and animated, her smile dropped and subtle terror made its way to her gaze. The person she found was not Caius at all.

Aro.

“Ah, I have been expecting you.” He stood up, a gentleman showing respect in the company of a lady.

 _‘I have been waiting to kill you’_ his greeting seemed to say. Jessica flinched, reeled back, muscles tensed ready to embrace flight, blood pumping to her feet and heart tattooing against her ribcage.

“It is alright,” Aro appeased, “I won’t kill you. I thought you could join me for a game of chess. My brother enjoyed playing with you last time.”  

While it was gratifying to hear that Caius enjoyed playing with her despite his avowed grudging demeanour, Aro’s invitation couldn’t sound more horrifying than a death inviting a poor soul to dance with Him.

 _No thank you. Hell to the no. Fuck to the no._ She wanted to say, taking out a cross and holy water to throw at him as chaseawayvampire.com says one should do when they encounter a vampire. Pressing down on her tongue and carefully weighing her words, she asked, “Are you good at chess?”

“I believe so.”

“You believe so? That’s a vague answer.”

“Sometimes ambiguity is a wise approach.”

“Edward said you guys don’t have respect for human lives.” Jessica confronted. That had been the very first warning and advice Edward had parted her on their first conversation; no further explication was needed to be said.

A ghost of a smile traced his lips, “We could say the same for humans.”

“That’s why we either kill them or eat them. So why am I still alive?” She retorted with defying bearing in her eyes.

“You are our guest.”

“For how long? I don’t want to overstay your welcome if I hadn’t already.”

“There is no need to worry for such thing; you have been a respectful and pleasant guest so far and we have no objection in your stay.”

 _Damn what a savvy, politically-neutral answer._ She grieved. A perfect response any politicians would vy to aspire under journalists’ grilling interrogation.

“I think barging into your library and challenging you in the face is far from being respectful or pleasant.”

“I thought it was quite engaging.”

“I expected you’d kill me seeing I caught onto your scheme.”

There was a brief suspension before he responded, “I know. You showed me. Now, enough about death, He will come in his own time – won’t you kindly indulge this bored, old man for a game?” Aro motioned toward the arranged chess board.

Jessica wordlessly closed the distance and held out her hand, her compliance momentarily bewildering him. She repressed the shudder as their skin touched, his hand smooth and cold with the solidness of marble sculpture.

“You nearly drowned as a child.”

Surprise broke through her neutral façade, brows shooting up to her hairline. _So it’s actually possible? He can actually read my entire thoughts and memories?_

“Yeah, an arsehole pushed me into the river but I assume you already seen that.” She reclined into her seat and Aro followed suit.

She took a glimpse to the artwork he had been appreciating; a glooming illustration of grieving, statuesque woman draped in black robe leaning against a pillar, confined in ornamented vessels of withered wreath, cypresses and a setting sun provoking traditional emblems of mourning framed inside the tabernacle frame that reminded her of a temple doorway. Jessica thought he’d prefer more cheerful paintings simply because he tried to assert himself as such with his almost childlike manner.

“It’s _Lachrymea_ by Frederic Lord Leighton, meaning ‘tears’ in Latin.” Aro mentioned, noting her interest in the art. “Belonging to the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, Leighton depicted a woman standing next to a funerary monument. The Greek elements of this painting represented the nostalgia this group of artists felt for ancient times.”

“When were you born?” Jessica asked, unable to deny the urge to know about this man.

“I was born in Greece but I cannot remember much of my human life.”

“Am I right to presume you probably mean ancient Greece?”

“Yes.”

“No wonder you chose Volterra – reminds of home, right?”

His only response was an ambivalent smile, sliding his white pawn into E4.

Jessica sent her black pawn to E5.

“It seems you have earned Jane’s forgiveness.” Aro commented, putting forward his knight into F3.

Jessica took a moment before she also advanced her knight to C6. “It’s been a slow progress.”

White bishop to B5.

Dangerously close to her stationed pawns. Jessica pursed her lips, agitated by the aggressiveness of his attacks.

Her black knight to F6.

White pawn to D3.

Black bishop to C5. He attacked her knight in C6, voluntarily giving up his bishop to her pawn taking his place on C6.

As the game progressed, sweat beads formed down her temple and brows furrowed into her forehead, creases deepening more prominently; he had positioned the knight into the centre of the board until all her pieces were cornered, unable to move or attack without sacrificing her significant pieces – she had never seen a knight such as his having devastating effect on the board. His queen was just as dangerous, securing him an exquisite triumph against her king.

What a brilliant but mad man.

“Who did you learn to play chess from?”

“We had similar game like chess in my time called Petteia and new rules can simply be adjusted.”

Petteia. She ingrained the word into her mind to recall later.

“So I’m not going to die?”

“You have no intention of exposing us – that is most important.”

“But the rules are clear, humans who discovers about..you is to be either turned or killed.”

“Yet they are not acquainted with Carlisle and his family.”

Jessica narrowed her eyes, sceptic, “Just because of that? You’re willing to bend the rules you’ve created for..Dr Cullen?”

“He is my friend and I treasure him very much.”

Aro’s statement disconcerted her; it was not that she thought he was incapable of appreciating a good friendship, rather she didn’t think he’d allow the situation to unfold to the extent for the sake of friendship he and Carlisle shared – an abstract, honest concept such as friendship didn’t seemed too much of value to a man of power like Aro.

Jessica realised, as manipulative and opportunistic as he was, this king of vampire seemed torn between two things he prized. Power and friendship.

“If you don’t mind me asking but how did you became friends with Dr Cullen?”

“He used to live with us in the castle before he went and formed his own family.” He said, concise.

She wondered about the history these two men shared, yet she also understood there were some innermost secret that was better left private.

“Don’t tell Caius I said this, but you’re a better chess player than him. You beat me in 26th moves while it took him 47 moves to win.”

“I know.”

“..You can read everything I felt, saw and heard.” She ratified, alluding to his knowledge of her childhood trauma. No one else but her parents and perhaps that young boy, if he still remembered, knew.

He nodded. The colour drained from her face, leaving her sallow with fear and realisation – she had no game in hand and nothing could deceive or be concealed from this man and just like her pieces, her cards, as few as they were, will be exposed. From the beginning, she was playing a losing game. Every person was a narrative, an open book he could simply glimpse on a whim. Aro had their entire stories with nothing but a touch; a light breeze of skin against skin. Her entire lives, splayed before him – all the secrets, all the forgotten memories, even the glint of illicit and immoral thoughts hidden away in the deepest ocean of her mind.

“Then you’d know how I came to know about vampires..” Jessica managed to gulped down the rising trepidation, “Giada..she-she kept the secrecy-she must have known I knew something, no one else believes her.”

“I know.” Aro interrupted her, “I remember her ancestor being but a young child when I first met her. You remind me of her – she, too, was curious and did not fear us like the others.”

“You won’t..kill her?” Jessica hopefully appealed; she wasn’t sure if she could bear blood in her hands.

“She will soon die and the story with her.” Aro declared blatantly, “We are, after all, creatures buried in myth.”

“Then may I visit her sometimes?”

“Have I ever imprisoned you?”

“Not physically, no.”

“You are free to do as you please.”

“As long as it’s within your constrain.” Jessica corrected. For herself. “If I make a mistake, then it’s over.”

Aro cast her rueful look of a forced man submitting to the power of a despot, even though Jessica knew it was an act to project sympathy on her circumstance, “I am afraid in my position, there’s a limit; the verdict made is equally weighed by my brothers’ contentions.”

Jessica retained the mask of indifference at his answer that was, simply put: ‘yes, you will die if you give me a single, good reason to do so.’

 _‘..equally weighed by my brothers’ contentions.’_ She echoed inwardly, before concluding, _Bullshit._

_..You’re the one with the true power._

* * *

**Petteia** \- also called Pessoi, Poleis, or Polis. Petteia and pessoi may be translated as “pebbles”, “stones”, or “pawns”, an obvious reference to the gaming pieces. Poleis and polis means city or cities, but these terms may have been used to refer to the playing board or the cells of the playing board. This was a game of the ancient Greeks, vaguely described by Plato, Aristotle, Polybius, possibly Homer, and others. The game is played with black and white stones initially lined up on opposite sides of the board. The main attacking tactic is to capture enemy stones by surrounding them between two friendly soldiers.


End file.
